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HANDBOOK OF THE TURF 

A TREASURY OF INFORMATION 
FOR HORSEMEN 

EMBRACING 



A Compendium of all Racing and Trotting Rules 

Laws of the States in their Relation to Horses 

AND Racing; A Glossary of Scientific Terms; 

The Catch-Words and Phrases used by 

Great Drivers, with 



MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION ABOUT HORSES, 
TRACKS, AND RACING 







SAMUEL L. BOARDMAN ^^ ^^^^ 

The literature of the turf is something almost &ui generis. It abomids in 
mysterious technicalities and phraseology intelligible only to the initiated.— The 
London Times, January 26, 1894. 



NEW YORK 

ORANGE JUDD COMPANY 

1895 



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4 



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Copyright, 1894 
By SAMUEL L. BOARDMAN 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 



T^AST thou given spirit to the horse? Hast 
"^ thou clothed his neck with a mane ? Canst 
thou make him bound as a locust? The majesty 
of his snorting is terrible. He panteth in the 
valleys and exulteth; he goeth on to meet the 
armed men. He mocketh at fear, and tremhleth ; 
nor turneth he back from the sword. Against 
him rattleth the quiver, the glittering spear and 
shield. He devours the ground with fierceness 
and rage, and is impatient when the trumpet 
soundeth. He uttereth among the trumpets. 
Ha! ha! He smelleth the battle afar off, the 
thunder of the captains and the shouting. 

— Translation from the Book of Job, 

By DR. THOMAS SCOTT. 



INTRODUCTION 

The general plan of the present work was conceived by 
the author some four years ago, and the task of compilation 
begun. Other engagements, however, soon demanded attention 
and prevented completion of the work, which the past year has 
given an opportunity of bringing to a close. Within its 
pages he has attempted the compression of what is believed to 
be the greatest body of information about the horse in his rela- 
tion to drivers, sulkys, tracks, riding, trotting, racing, and the 
laws pertaining thereto, that has ever appeared in a single vol- 
ume in this country. In doing this his aim has been to produce 
a book of reference, the usefulness of which will render its pos- 
session material to every intelligent individual who breeds, 
trains, rides, cares for or loves a horse. It is the author's hope 
that the execution of the work will, in some measure at least, 
equal what he believes to have been the merit of its conception. 

Within the past twenty years a complete revolution has 
taken place in the breeding and management of horses, govern- 
ment of tracks, appliances used on the turf, and the rules of 
racing. During the last half of this period the most profound 
scientists in England, France, and this country, have made 
careful and long continued studies on the anatomy, conforma- 
tion, and external points of the horse ; while years have also 
been devoted to an analysis of the laws of motion, the study of 
speed inheritance, the physical basis of the several gaits, and 
the laws of breeding. Moreover, all the progress and extreme 
development in these lines during the period named, has really 
been crystallized within the past two years into the most won- 
derful form, as evinced by the use of the pneumatic sulky and 
the accomplishment of phenomenal speed on the American 
turf. Yet with these great changes no useful handbook, 

V 



yi IKTKODUCTION". 

coming within reach of the everyday horseman at a modest 
price, and embodying what science has taught as authoritative 
upon these subjects, has been published. A few elaborate 
treatises, beyond the range of the practical horseman in scope 
of information, and quite beyond his reach in price, have 
appeared, of the benefits of which he has been unable to avail 
himself, because by far too scientific for his use, or too expen- 
sive for his purse. 

The present volume is believed to do for this class of read- 
ers what no other single book on the horse and racing, has 
ever attempted to accomplish. Its range of information 
embraces terms relating to the horse ; his exterior conforma- 
tion and uses as an animal for riding and driving ; to the track 
or race course ; the sulky and track vehicles ; the harness ; the 
driver and rider ; to equestrianism ; the trotting and racing 
turf ; the racing and trotting rules ; laws of the States in their 
relation to horses, tracks, and racing ; the phrases and catch- 
words of great drivers and riders ; terms used in the veterinary 
art so far as they relate to the locomotory organs of the horse, 
and to general soundness, vices, and faults ; with the folk-lore 
of horses, old sayings, and useful general knowledge of an his- 
torical and practical character. While numerous books are 
ready at hand to aid the student and practical craftsman in 
the arts, sciences, literature, the special processes of mechanics, 
printing, botany, gardening, and the textile arts — the vast body 
of intelligent horsemen has been, heretofore, without any single 
book, presenting in a comprehensive way, the historical, scien- 
tific, legal, and practical features of their business. In short, 
this book attempts to do for them, and for the gigantic indus- 
try which they represent — the horse-breeding, racing, and trot- 
ting business of the United States — ^what the numerous readers' 
handbooks, dictionaries of phrase and fable, dates, general allu- 
sions, common things, scientific handbooks and trade glossaries 
do for students of art and literature, and skilled workers in 
the arts and industries. The sources of information have 
embraced the entire range of horse literature as represented in 
the incomparable collection in possession of the Boston Public 
Library ; files of sporting and turf journals and magazines of 



INTRODUCTION. YU 

this country and England; an extended correspondence with 
well known turf authorities in the United States, and wide per- 
sonal acquaintance among practical horsemen, breeders, and 
trainers. 

It is interesting to note to what an extent the horse indus- 
try and turf business of the country has invented its own 
language — a language expressive, unique, and peculiar ; one 
which until now has existed beyond the realm of literature, 
because it has had lodgment only in the general practice and 
rugged brains of trainers, drivers, stablemen, and others who 
have had to do with horses all their lives. So far as the author 
is aware, the present volume is the first attempt to embody in 
collected form the technical vocabulary of the track and its 
equipments, the fraternity of drivers and riders, and the large 
body of intelligent gentlemen practically interested in horses, 
driving, racing, and trotting. Hence the book has been com- 
piled from original information obtained on the turf and in the 
stable, as well as from the horse literature of two centuries. 

The author wishes to say further, that the book is not an 
English dictionary, a book on stable management, a cyclopaedia 
about horses, a treatise on breeding, a trotting register or year- 
book, a work on veterinary practice, or on the training and 
driving of horses — and yet there is something in it under each 
of these different headings. In memoirs of horses, it includes 
only the five or six representative or foundation animals in 
England and America; and no one family or individual is 
given prominence in preference to another. It contains no 
expression of opinion that can by any possible construction 
provoke controversy or lessen the value of the facts presented ; 
nor does it discuss theories of breeding, training, or manage- 
ment. It floats no advertisement of breeder, track or vehicle. 
The terms pertaining to equestrianism are not generally those 
of the schools devoted to fancy riding, but those of practical 
horsemanship. Many terms pertaining to the English turf are 
included, because our own turf history is founded upon that of 
the mother country, and because the intelligent driver or eques- 
trian wishes to be well informed upon all matters relating to 
turf history and practices, whether in his own country or 



Till INTRODUCTION. 

abroad. In consulting the book the reader will generally under- 
stand in what cases the subject matter refers to the trotting or 
racing turf, without a repetition of explanation, or a particular 
statement that such fact pertains to the one or the other. The 
veterinary terms have been limited mainly to those which 
relate to the organs of locomotion, to age and soundness, with 
such as pertain to common ailments, or those most closely 
related to the horse as a track and riding animal. In law, the 
general statutes and special acts of States relating to horses, 
tracks, and racing are given, down to the close of the year 1893. 
The incidents and facts of turf history ; accounts of remarka- 
ble horses, races, and events ; interesting anecdotes illustrating 
curious facts ; biographical notices of distinguished persons, 
and the copious references to trotting and racing performances 
of a noteworthy character, have all been carefully compiled 
from trustworthy sources. In brief, the book makes plain to 
the non-professional reader, groom, driver, rider, and horseman, 
the accurate meaning of scientific terms relating to the horse, 
usually given in technical books only, in the language of science, 
thus educating them in a practical but thoroughly correct man- 
ner, in the sciences upon which so much of a true understand- 
ing of their business and its successful prosecution is founded. 
Few duplications or cross references have been used. Where a 
choice has existed the preferable term alone has been defined, 
or that which a person consulting the book would be most 
likely to first refer to ; while cross references not only take up 
space to no purpose, but are usually very unsatisfactory to who- 
soever wishes to consult such a book. Owing to its alphabeti- 
cal arrangement, the book is its own index ; hence, as the title 
indicates, it is a handbook of reference for facts under special 
headings, rather than a work to be read for the purpose of 
obtaining a general view of the subjects which it embraces. 

Especially is the work useful as a compendium of the turf 
rules of the United States, because the widest publicity that 
can be given these rules not only enlightens horsemen and 
members of associations and societies, but also the spectators 
who attend fairs and patronize the races. Such persons are 
much better satisfied when they see a decision made or penalty 



IXTRODrCTIO>s^. IX 

imposed, if they know the rule and reason for it. They can 
see there is fair play and no choice between stoga boots and 
patent leather when they understand the rules and see them 
enforced without fear or favor, and when they can so understand 
them, they enjoy the races better. The national rules have 
elevated the trotting sport of America to a high standard, and 
fostered a breeding interest which is represented by millions. 
Every penalty imposed on man or horse for fraud or misde- 
meanor of any kind, by one member or association, is equally 
recognized by each and every other member. Thus the power 
to enforce rectitude and good behavior upon the turf all over 
the country is absolute. 

It is evident that a w^ork of this kind, which is believed to 
be unique, and which must be compiled without having the 
advantage of any similar work upon which it might be based, 
and from which materials might be drawn, must of necessity 
be more or less incomplete. The field covered has been indefi- 
nitely large, and the aim has constantly been to keep the book 
within reasonable size, consistent with adequate treatment of 
subjects. To this end, while it is hoped no important omis- 
sions will be found, insignificant terms, those of obvious mean- 
ing and simple facts known by practical horsemen, have 
generally been excluded. For the purpose of making future 
editions more complete, the author will be thankful to any one 
for facts, information, phrases and words which will contribute 
to this end. 

The author desires to express his gratitude to the many 
friends and correspondents who have aided him in the prepara- 
tion of this work. Thanks are especially due to M. M. Morse, 
Secretary of the National Trotting Association, Hartford, 
Conn.; J. H. Steiner, Secretary of the American Trotting Asso- 
ciation, and of the American Trotting Register Association, 
Chicago, 111.; E. C. Hopper, Secretary of the American Turf 
Congress, Covington, Ky.; I. B. Nail, Secretary of the National 
Saddle Horse Breeders' Association, Louisville, Ky.; Sanders 
D. Bruce, editor of the Turf, Field, and Farm, New York; 
Simon W. Parlin, and J. W. Thompson, editors of the American 
Horse Breeder, Boston, Mass.; W. B. Fasig, New York ; Charles 



X IKTRODUCTIOI^. 

E. Walker, South Framingham, Mass.; C. W. Williams, Inde- 
pendence, Iowa ; Dr. George H. Bailey, V. S., Deering, Maine ; 
C. B. Tillinghast, State Librarian, Boston, Mass.; Arthur M. 
Knapp, keeper of Bates Hall, Boston Public Library, Boston, 
Mass.; L. D. Carver, State Librarian, Augusta, Maine ; and the 
editors of the Spirit of The Times, New York, and Wallace's 
Monthly, aiid The Horseman, Chicago, 111. Acknowledgements 
are also due to the publishers of copyrighted books, quoted in 
the w^ork, for permission to make extracts from the same. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF 



EXPLANATIOXS 



The abbreviations used in the following pages are : Ekg. for terms 
relating to the English turf ; Eq. for those pertaining to equestrianism; 
Law. for legal terms and information. 



Abdallali. One of the foundation sires of the Ameri- 
can trotter. He was bred by John TreadweU, Salisbury Place, 
L. I., N". Y., and foaled in 1823 ; by Mambrino, by imported 
Messenger, dam Amazonia. Imported Messenger was foaled 
in 1780, by Mambrino, dam by Turf, and tracing back through 
the Byerly Turk to a natural Barb mare. The dam of Mam- 
brino was by imported Sour Crout, second dam by imported 
Whirligig, third dam old Slammerkin, a race mare by im- 
ported Wildair. Wildair's get was so highly esteemed in 
England that those interested in racing stock in that country 
sent over here, bought him and took him back to England 
again. He was by Cade, by the Godolphin Arabian. Of 
Abdallah's dam but little is definitely known. It is supposed 
that her sire was a descendent of imported Messenger. In- 
deed, it is stated by JNIr. J. H. Wallace, (American Trotting 
Register, I, 60), that she was purchased near Philadelphia by 
Mr. B. T. Kissam, a dry goods jobber of New York, when on 
a trip to that city, and she was represented to him to be by a 
son of imported Messenger. She is described as a chestnut in 
color, 15.3 hands high, and rather coarse in quality and ill in 
shape. Abdallah has been best described, probably, by the 
late Mr. B. T. Kissam, who knew the horse well. His descrip- 
tion, which applies to him in his four years old form, is : " He 
had a long, clean head ; ear long and tapering ; eyes lively, and 
of medium size ; neck light, and set low on the withers ; up car- 
riage, and when in action head carried perpendicularly; shoul- 
ders upright ; deep in girth ; full chested ; fore legs very wide 
apart, causing him to stand wdth his toes in; light bone, 
especially below the knees and hocks ; knees a little forward, 
flat-ribbed and short in flank; roached back; hips and loins 

11 



12 HAIs^DBOOK OF THE TURF. ' 

medium breadth ; peaked from hips to setting on of the tail, 
which was very thin-haired; long from hip to hock; rather 
thin quarters and short fetlocks." Mr. Kissam omits to say, 
however, that his color was blood bay, and that he had a star 
in forehead, with left hind-foot white above the ankle. He 
stood 15.3 hands high. He was never broken to harness, 
being ridden under ths saddle. He was kept at the farm of 
his breeder in 1828 and 1829 ; at Flatbush and Gravesend, 
N. Y., 1830 ; near Jamaica, N. Y., 1831 ; at different places on 
Long Island and in New Jersey till 1839 ; at Lexington, Ky., 
1840 ; at Union Course, L. L, 1841 and 1842 ; at Goshen, N. Y., 
1843; at Freehold, N. J., 1844 and 1845; at Chester, K Y., 
1846-48; at the Bull's Head, N. Y., 1849; at Union Course, 
N". Y., 1850; and at Patchogue, L. I., 1851. He died of neg- 
lect and starvation upon a sandy beach on Long Island, in 
November, 1854. Abdallah got more fast trotters than any 
horse of his time. The records show that at least twenty-two 
of his sons and daughters started in races, and twenty of the 
number were race winners. Three of his get are found in the 
2:30 list, viz.: Sir Walter, 2:27; O'Blennis, 2:30; Frank For- 
rester, 2:30. He seems to have transmitted the tendency to 
trot with much greater uniformity through his daughters than 
through his sons. His daughters are credited with producing 
eight trotters that are found in the 2:30 list, including Gold- 
smith Maid, 2:14; and the records show that thirty-two stal- 
lions out of daughters of Abdallah have got 2:30 performers. 

Abdomen. The cavity which occupies the rear part of 
the trunk or body of the horse ; the exterior part of which is 
known as the flank. 

Abductor. One of the great locomotive muscles of the 
horse, the function of which is to draw away a limb from the 
axis of the body ; to extend. 

Abing-don Mile. A famous old English race-course, 
the length of which was seven furlongs, 211 yards. 

Abrasion. An abraded spot or place ; applied chiefly 
to a fretting or rubbing of the skin, by which the underlying 
tissues are exposed. Even though slight, and requiring but 
little care, abrasions are, until perfectly healed, an unsoundness. 

Action. The manner of moving; an exertion of power 
or force ; the real relation of a cause to its effect. Action 
takes its direction from the hips, and power is invariably resi- 
dent when a horse has a long and somewhat oblique, rather 
than horizontal quarter. The stifle should never be lower 
than the elbows, as contributors to leverage and power in the 
hock. 



' HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 13 

. Action-controlling Power. That quality of instinct 
in the horse which governs the movements in a balanced form, 
without loss of muscular exertion. 

Added Money. Money added to a regular purse or 
stake as an extra inducement for entries. It is given by the 
track or association in a larger or smaller sum ; as in a sweep- 
stakes, the horses put in $25 each, and the track adds $100. 

Adductor. The function of drawing towards; the 
name of several muscles of locomotion which draw certain 
parts to, or toward, one common center or median line ; the 
opposite of abductor. 

Ag'ainst Time. A performance against the watch ; a 
trial of speed. All performances against time are required to 
be made at a regular meeting of a track, society or association 
in membership with the ISTational or American trotting asso- 
ciation, in strict accord with the rules of the trotting turf, and 
under the conduct of judges and timers regularly appointed. 
No animal can start in such race pending a heat or trial by 
another animal, nor until the result of such heat or trial has 
been announced. There shall be three judges and three timers, 
and no performance shall take place earlier than 10 o'clock 
A. M. If a performance against time takes place at a post- 
poned or continued meeting, such postponement must have 
been made in accordance with the rules of the trotting turf. 
The horse starting must start to equal or exceed a specified 
time, and a losing performance shall not constitute a record or 
bar. All entries for such performance must be duly made 
with the official secretary, appear in the printed program 
of the day, or posted legibly at the judges stand. A reg- 
ular meeting means a meeting advertised in at least one news- 
paper not less than one week before the commencement of the 
race, at which time no less than two regular events, (purse or 
stake), are advertised for each day, one of which must take 
place. A match race is not considered a regular event. No 
"matches against time" are allowed by the trotting rules. 

Ag'e of the Horse. Modern science has divided the 
age of the horse as determined by the dentition into five gen- 
eral periods. They are : 1, the eruption of the incisors of the 
first dentition, or from birth to about eight to ten months old ; 
2, the leveling, progressive use and falling out of the incisors 
of the first dentition, or from about one year to about two 
years old; 3, the eruption of the permanent or adult teeth, or 
from the age of two, or two and a half years, to between five 
and six years old ; 4, the leveling of the permanent incisors, or 



14 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

from, about six to about eight years old ; 5, the wearing away 
of the crowns, or from about nine to after nineteen years old. 
In order to ascertain the age of the horse, it is necessary to 
observe some structural part of the animal, which is liable to 
little change and may be easily examined ; hence the teeth are 
the only organs that can furnish a guide to age, and they can 
generally be trusted with a considerable degree of certainty. 
The incisors of the lower jaw are the ones examined for the 
age of the animal, as it is seldom that much importance is 
attached to the appearance of the tushes. The pincher teeth 
or middle incisors, generally appear when the foal is from six 
to eight days old, the upper teeth appearing first. At four, 
months there are four teeth in the upper and four in the lower 
jaw, and at about eight to ten months old the corner incisors 
and intermediate teeth are entirely through the gums. At 
about two and a half years of age, the dental arch is complete. 
The central nippers of the lower jaw are the first permanent 
teeth, the middle and corner nippers being temporary, the for- 
m.er, or permanent teeth, being much larger than the latter. 
At about three and a half years of age, the middle nippers give 
place to a permanent pair, and from a year later to five years 
of age the corner nippers are replaced by permanent ones. At 
this age the horse has what is termed a "full mouth;" or in 
other words all the permanent nippers are in place. From 
this age up, the spots or marks in the center of the teeth, the 
dentine, must be the chief guide in determining the age. At 
five years of age the central nippers are somewhat worn, leav- 
ing a small black spot in the center, but their shape, which is 
■oval, has not yet changed. The marks of the middle nippers 
are not so large as formerly. At six years of age the central 
nippers have but a very small spot of dentine in their center, 
the middle pair have lost much of theirs, and the corner pair, 
while showing less than two years previous, are yet quite full. 
In the male the tushes are fully up, but are showing no appear- 
ance of wear. At from six to seven years of age the teeth 
show more wear, although they have changed but little; the 
center marks being less distinct, and the corner ni23per smaller. 
At eight years of age the teeth are quite oval in form, their 
character, however, is not much changed. After this age they 
begin to become triangular in form, particularly that of the 
central incisors, or nippers. At nine years of age the central 
marks have nearly disappeared, only a small black speck 
remaining ; the central incisors are slightly triangular in form, 
and the tusks are more rounded at the points. The wear of 
the corner nippers is much indicated. At ten years of age the 



HAN'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 15 

central pair of nippers is markedly triangular in shape; the 
marks in the center are nearly obliterated, the teeth are longer 
and project forward more than in the case of younger horses. 
At eleven years of age all the teeth become more triangular in 
form, they increase in length, project forward, and the tusks 
are greatly rounded at the points. These characteristics have 
increased at twelve years of age, and the front corner nippers 
are worn away even with the middle pair — the wear being less on 
the back portion. From thirteen to nineteen years of age the 
same general characteristics appear, the shape of the teeth be- 
comes more triangular, the nippers are longer and project forward 
in an increased degree, and the tushes are round at the points. 

If a horse's mouth presents exactly the characters which indicate a 
certain number of years of growth, we say tl>at it " is — years ; " if 
it lias not quite attained the age, it is described as 'prising — 
years;" if it has passed the period and has not yet attained the 
markings of anotlier year, it 'is counted as" — years off."— Age of 
the Domestic Animals, Rush S. Huidkoper, M. D. 

By the teeth, only, in my judgment, can the age be known certainly f 
and by them, certainly, only until tlie ninth year.— Horse and Horse- 
manship of the United States, Henry William Herbert. 

Ag"e of the Horse. Buffon says that the duration of 
the life of the horse is, as in all other species of domestic 
animals, proportionate to the duration of their period of 
gTowth or increase. The period of increase of the horse con- 
tinues throughout four years, and he can live six or seven 
times as long ; that is to say twenty-five or thirty years. The 
life of mares is ordinarily longer than that of horses. At 
ten years of age, if a horse is sound and free from objection- 
able habits, he is a safer purchase than one five years of age. 
The older horse is less liable to sudden or acute attacks of dis- 
ease such as colic, etc., and if properly cared for, is good for 
many years of reasonable service. 

Albertus Magnus mentions that in his time, 1193-1280, there was an 
instance of a charger proving serviceable at the advanced age of 
sixty ; and Augustus IVephus says there Avas a horse in the stable of 
Ferdinand the First, 1503-1564, that had attained the extraordinary 
age of seventy years. This is the oldest horse which I have ever 
lieard of, and, in all probability, the only one on record which had 
reached tliat age.— Authentic Anecdotes and Sketches of Horses, 
Capt. Thomas Brown, London, 1830. 

Ag-e of Trotters. Records show that the trotter and 
pacer are longer on the turf than the thoroughbred race-horse. 
Forty-one horses have trotted in 2:30 or better at fifteen years 
of age ; eleven at sixteen years of age ; sixteen at seventeen 
years of age ; seven at eighteen years of age ; one at nineteen 
years of age, and one at twenty-one years of age. At 
seventeen years of age Goldsmith Maid trotted a mile in 2:14. 

Ag"e, Rule of. The National, American and Racing 
rules provide that the age of a horse shall be reckoned from 
the first day of January of the year of foaling. 



16 HAI^DBOOK OP THE TURF. 

Ag"ed. In trotting and running parlance, any horse over 
six years of age. 

Agistor, Ag"ister. An officer of the royal forests of 
England having the care of horses and cattle agistered, and of 
collecting the money for the same; one who receives and 
pastures horses and cattle for hire ; a law term used in describ- 
ing a lien on horses. 

Aids in Hiding". [Eq.] The hand and the heel are 
denominated aids of the rider. 

Air Pump. An apparatus for the compression or trans- 
mission of air. In the common form the air is given motion 
by means of a cylinder and piston. With the use of the 
pneumatic sulky the air pump has become a necessity with 
every driver for inflating the rubber tires of the sulky. 

Alfalfa. The Spanish name of lucerne, Medicago sativa. 
It is largely used in California as a forage for horses, and 
while it does very well for brood mares and youngsters, it is 
regarded as a washy grass and affects the kidneys of horses in 
training most unfavorably. 

Alix. Bay mare, 15.3 hands high, white in the face and 
one white hind ankle. Bred by Daniel Hayes, Muscatine, 
Iowa, and foaled in 1888. By Patronage, 4143, by Pancoast, 
1439 ; dam, Atlanta, by Attorney, 1005, second dam Flint, by 
General Hatch, 139, third dam Dolly by a son of imported 
Gleucoe. Holding the World's records to the close of 1893, 
for one mile by a mare in a race, Washington Park, Chicago, 
September 14, 1893, 2:07|; for one mile by a four year old 
filly, Nashville, Tenn., November 5, 1892, 2:10; for fastest 
first heat in a race, Chicago, 111., September 14, 1893, 2:07f ; 
fastest fifth heat in a race, Coiumbus, Ohio, August 25, 1893, 
2:09|, and fastest ninth heat in a race, Chicago, 111., September 
16, 1893, 2:09f. 

All Abroad. When a horse jumps cross-legged at the 
start, or is in some other way out of form, especially in a run- 
ning race, so that he is a long time in recovering, and it is 
evident the heat is lost to him at the start, he is said to be 
" all abroad." 

Allowance. A favor granted a horse, by the rules, on 
account of age, sex, or other condition. While penalties are 
obligatory, allowances are optional; but if claimed, the claim, 
should be stated when the entry is made. In all heat races of 
the Turf Congress, an allowance of five pounds is made from 
the scale of weights ; and in all races excepting handicaps and 
those in which the conditions are absolute, fillies and geldings 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 17 

two years old are allowed three pounds, and mares and geld- 
ings three years old and upward are allowed five pounds before 
the first of Se^Dtember of eacA year, and three pounds after 
that date. In a race exclusively for three-year-olds, for in- 
stance, the weight to be carried is 122 pounds, ^ow, if a 
horse was entered that had won two races, he would carry 127 
pounds; or, in other words, cany a five pound penalty; but if 
another horse should enter that had not won a race, it would 
carry 115 pounds only, or receive an allowance of seven pounds. 
Amble. The pace ; said to be the first natural gait of 
young colts. In ambling, the horse moves two legs on the 
same side at the same time, and Doth feet strike as one ; then 
the limbs on the other side advance and strike as one, the 
strokes — one, two — completing the revolution. In England, 
in the time of Edward II, (1307-1327), horses were taught to 
amble or pace by the use of trammels made of strong listing, 
or irons, which were attached like chains and fetters, to con- 
trol the gait. 

Some horses are amblers first, and afterwards learn to trot, and travel 
equally well in both paces; indeed, considering the small proj)or- 
tion of horses that fall into this pace, and the record made by them 
on the turf, it may be thought to 'have no disadvantage over the 
regular trot. It would seem to give great advantage to a short- 
bodied horse, as there is no danger ot overreaching. — The Horse in 
Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

American Derby. Names of several events in the 
United States, which have been maintained with greater or 
less regularity for the past thirty years. The first Derby ever 
run in this country was at Patterson, N. J., in 1861. In 1863 
the Kentucky Derby was established at Lexington, Ky., but it 
was not run till 1864, the event taking place at Louisville. 
The following is the list of American Derbys : American, 
Chicago, 111. ; Arkansas, Little Eock, Ark. ; Brooklyn, Brook- 
lyn, I^. y. ; Cony Island, Sheepshead Bay, N. Y. ; Kentucky, 
LouisviUe, Ky. ; Latimer, Covington, Ky. ; Twin City, St. Paul, 
Minn. ; Tennessee, Memphis, Tenn. But one American Derby 
was run in 1893 — that at Washington Park, Chicago, 111. 

American Eclipse. A famous horse in the stud and 
upon the turf. Bred by Gen. ISTathaniel Coles, Dosoris, L. I., 
N. y. Foaled May 25, 1814. Chestnut; 15^ hands high, 
with star in forehead, near hind foot white ; heavy-set, and 
full of bone and muscle. By Duroc, by imported Diomed; 
dam. Miller's Damsel, by imported Messenger, by Mambrino, 
out of an imported mare by Pot-8-os, son of the famous Eng- 
lish Eclipse. He was trained at three years old. Winner of 
the great sectional match between the North and South, 
2 



18 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

against Henry, run over the Union Course, Long Island, N. Y., 
May 27, 1823, for ,$20,000 a side. The first heat (four mile 
race) was won by Henry in 7:37^; the second and third heats 
were won by Eclipse in 7:49 and 8:24 respectively. Henry 
carried 108 pounds. Eclipse 126 pounds. The measurements 
of Eclipse were : Head 23| inches; neck 25 in.; from point 
of shoulder to point of buttocks 65| in.; girth 74 in.; around 
the arm 21 i in.; below the knee 7| in.; around the tibia 18| 
in.: the hock 16| in.; from hip to point of hock 37^ in.; same 
around the flank as the girth 74 in.; same height at hip as at 
the withers 61 in. He died in Shelby County, Ky., August, 
1847, in the 34th year of his age. 

American Newmarket. Monmouth, N. J., has been 
called the American Newmarket. 

American Phenomenon. An American bred horse 
was so called, although his name was Tom Thumb. After 
defeating all comers at home he was taken to England, and it 
is recorded that on February 2, 1829, on Sudbury Common, he 
trotted one hundred miles in ten hours and seven minutes. 
This performance was to a match-cart, or gig, built at Albany, 
N. Y., by a Mr. Gould, and was probably the first sulky built 
in this country. It weighed 160 pounds, and was regarded 
too frail for safety. 

American Stud Book, (Bruce's). The first volume of 
the American Stud Book, edited by Mr. Sanders D. Bruce, 
New York, was published in 1873, and the second the same 
year; VoL III in 1878; Yol. lY in 1884; YoL Y in 1888; 
Yol. YI in 1894. "I have not attempted," says Mr. Bruce, 
"to fix any definite standard of what constitutes a thorough- 
bred. It is the custom to call those thoroughbred having five 
uncontaminated crosses to a thoroughbred; but none are, 
strictly speaking, thoroughbred that do not trace, w'ithout con- 
taminating blood, to Oriental origin. Many animals are reg- 
istered in the sixth volume w^hich connot be traced the requi- 
site number of (five) crosses, but public form and producing 
excellence justifies their registration." The pedigrees of the 
animals are arranged alphabetically, the produce of mares are 
indexed, and there is also an index to sires, the mares appear- 
ing under their sires. More than thirty thousand animals, 
young and old, are recorded. 

American Trotting" Association. The American 
Trotting Association was organized at Detroit, Mich., March 2, 
1887, and duly incorporated according to the laws of that 
State, March 9, 1887, its object being "to improve the breed 



HAN'DBOOK OE THE TURF. 19 

of horses by promoting the mterests of the American trotting 
turf." It is managed by a board of five directors, (the presi- 
dent and secretary being ex officio members) ; and holds bien- 
nial meetings or congresses on the first Tuesday in May. It 
has a board of review, board of appeals, has authority to 
impose fines and penalties, announce decisions and administer 
oaths. In 1893 it had eight hundred and six members — a 
member being a track, society or association. 

American Trotting Reg-is ter, (Wallace's). Mr. 
John H. Wallace published the first volume of his American 
Stud Book, (devoted to running pedigrees), in 1867; and the 
first volume of the the American Trotting Register in 1872. 
With the publication of \^oL IV, in 1882, the pedigrees of 
stallions first began to be numbered consecutively, and, to the 
end of Vol. XII, (1893), they had reached No. 23,499. Stand- 
ard bred mares and geldings are registered alphabetically, and 
non-standard animals are also included, (registered alphabet- 
ically). Pedigrees of pacers were first included in Vol. X, for 
1892, and the work now embraces trotters and pacers. The 
twelve volumes published register more than one hundred 
thousand pedigrees. Published at Chicago, 111., by the Amer- 
ican Trotting Register Association. 

American Turf Congress is composed of the nine 
jockey clubs in the United States, and the Americo-Mexican 
Blood Horse Association of the city of Mexico, S. A. ; and has 
for its object " the improvement of the breed, and the devel- 
opment of horses through the promotion of the interests of 
the American running turf; the prevention, detection and 
punishment of fraud thereon, and the adoption of regulations 
and rules, to be known as the American Racing Rules, for the 
uniform government of racing." 

American Year of tlie English Derby. The year 
1881. The year in which the Derby and the St. Leger were 
won by the American horse Iroquois ; the same year in which 
the French Derb}^ — the Grand Prix of Paris — was won by the 
American horse Foxhall. See Iroquois and Foxhall. 

Ankle-cutter. A horse that from faulty conformation, 
strikes his ankles, or inside of the fetlock joint, when in 
motion, inflicting a wound, is called an " ankle-cutter." 

Anterior. Situated to the front ; the head ; opposite of 
posterior. Thus the term anterior extremity means the fore- 
leg. The head is anterior to the neck, and the neck in turn is 
anterior to the back. 

Appeals. Rules of the American Trotting Association 



^0 HAlsTDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

allow appeals to be taken in cases of suspension imposed by 
the judges of a race or an officer acting for the member ; and 
all decisions and rulings of the judges of any race, and of the 
members and proprietors of the Association, may be appealed 
to the Board of Review or Board of Appeals, and become sub- 
ject to review upon the facts and questions involving the proper 
application and interpretation of the rules of the Association. 

Appeals. Under the by-laws of the American Trotting 
Association, appeals from the decision of the judges, members 
or officers of members, lie to the Board of Review for that State, 
unless the appellant shall in his notice of appeal signify his 
desire for it to go to the Board of Appeals, in which case it shall 
go direct to such Board ; or unless all parties reside west of the 
continental divide, in which event the case shall go to the 
Board of Review unless the parties otherwise agree. All 
appeals must be taken within ten days from the date of the 
decision appealed from, or if from a decision made at a meet- 
ing of a member, must be taken before the close of the meeting. 
Appeals must be filed with the secretary of the Association, 
accompanied with a fee of $5, and also all written evidence in 
the case, at least ten days prior to the meeting of the Board to 
which the case goes. A fine of |100 is imposed provided all the 
terms and rules pertaining to appeals are not complied with. 

Appeals, Board of. The Board of Appeals of the 
National Trotting Association consists of fifteen members, three 
from each of the official districts of the Association, viz.: East- 
ern — comprising the New England States and foreign countries ; 
Atlantic — comprising the States of New York, Pennsylvania, 
Delaware, Virginia, New Jersey, Maryland, and the District of 
Columbia; Central — comprising the States of Ohio, Indiana, 
West Virginia, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, and 
all States south of the southern border of Virginia and Ken- 
tucky ; Western — comprising the States of Illinois, Wisconsin, 
Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, and Texas, and all the Western 
States and Territories not included by name in other districts ; 
Pacific — California, Oregon, Nevada, Washington, Montana, 
Colorado, and Idaho. Upon this Board is "conferred the man- 
agement, direction, and control of all the business and affairs 
of the Association." It has " power to settle all disputes 
between members, to hear all complaints, to determine with 
whom its corporators shall do business, review and regulate the 
manner of reviewing all decisions of the individual corporators, 
or of the judges of a race on the track or course of any corpo- 
rators, enforce the rules and by-laws and exercise all the power 
of the Association." In the American Trotting Association 



ha:n"dbook of the turf. 21 

the Board of Directors constitutes the Board of Appeals. It 
has jurisdiction of all appeals as well as original jurisdiction 
to prevent and punish all frauds, abuses and violations of the 
by-laws, rules, and regulations of the Association in any man- 
ner relating to the course, by fine, suspension, or expulsion of 
the offender, but no fine shall exceed ^1,000. It has also the 
power to relieve horses from erroneous records and correct the 
same, and generally has " the power to do justice and prevent 
injustice in all cases not specially provided for. 

Apple Tree. The quarter-pole or half-mile pole is called 
the apple tree by drivers. To " go out round the apple tree," 
is to spin the horse round the course ; to give him an exercise. 

Arabian. The Arabian is one of the three great classes 
of Oriental horses, the two others being the Turkish and Barb. 
The true Arabian is now bred in great purity by the Sultan of 
Turkey, and while he is found in various degrees of excellence 
in the region from Damascus to the Euphrates, rather than on 
the isthmus of Arabia, he is an animal which few Europeans 
have ever seen. A sub-race, somewhat larger than the Arabian, 
known as the Turk or Turkish horse, is found in Asia Minor 
and in portions of European Turkey. In Northern Africa is 
found the third branch of the family, and from his home in 
the Barbary States is known as the Barb. For several centu- 
ries, and indeed still, it has been found in the greatest perfec- 
tion among the Moors. Pure Arabians range from fourteen to 
fifteen hands high, and they very rarely exceed this standard, 
being rather small, compact, possessed of great powers of endur- 
ance, and capable of going long journeys and continuing longer 
without food or water than the more artificially reared horses 
of more civilized nations. Thej are docile, spirited, sagacious, 
attached to their masters, active, intelligent, noble. 

Arab of the Cloak. In the district of the Xejd on 
the border of the desert in Central Arabia, is a family of 
horses of great renown descended from a mare of which this 
tradition exists : Her owner was once flying from the enemy, 
and, being nearly overtaken, he cast off his cloak in order to 
relieve his mare of that unnecessary burden. But when, having 
distanced his pursuers, he halted and looked around, what was 
his surprise to find that his cloak had lodged on the mare's 
outstretched tail and still hung there. Ever since, the heroine 
of this incident has figured in the unwritten pedigrees of the 
desert, as "the Arab of the cloak." All Arabian horses carry 
their tails high, and, next to the head and its adjustment, the 
tail is the feature which the Arabs consider of highest import- 
ance in selecting a horse. 



23 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Arm. The humerus or true arm consists of a single 
bone situated between the scapula or shoulder-joint and the 
bone of the forearm or elbow joint, in an oblique direction 
downward and backwards. 

Arm-cutting'. An injury to the forearm which fre- 
quently takes place in consequence of excessive knee action, 
upright pasterns, and a lofty carriage of the head, especially in 
cases where the horse has sufficient speed to trot quarters in 
thirty-five seconds. 

Arrears. That which is behind in payment. By the 
rules of the American Turf Congress, arrears include all sums 
due for entrance money, subscriptions, stakes, forfeits, fines, 
purchase money in races with selling conditions, and any 
default incident to the rules. A horse cannot become a starter 
in any race until all arrears of whatever nature have been 
duly paid. 

Articulation. A word meaning the act of putting 
together so as to form a joint or joints ; the junction of bones. 
A term much used in veterinary language for a union of two 
bones ; a joint. 

Artificial Gaits. The acquired gaits of the horse, as 
distinguished from the natural gaits. They are : the amble or 
pace, broken amble, running walk or fox-trot, racing gallop, 
and their various modifications. 

Artist of the Pigskin. A jockey. 

Ascot Heath. Seat of the Ascot races, Winkfield, 

Berks, England, six miles from Winsor, which were begun by 

the DuTte of Cumberland, uncle to George III., about 1727.. 

It was here that the first recorded *boTius of £1000 was added to a stake, 
to wit, tlie Alexandra Plate, a race of three miles for four-year-olds 
and upwards, which was inaugurated by the success of the cele- 
brated mare Fille de I'Air, the property of Count de Lagrange. 
Since that time the weallii and the liberality of the Eoyal meeting 
liave increased pari passu, till in these days so great is the value of 
the prizes, so great the prestige which attaches, to the winning 
tliereof, that all which is most excellent in horseflesh, most 
ambitious in ownership, is annually attracted to that favored spot. 
TheBadmi)iton Library : Racing, The Earl of Suffolk and Berksiiire. 

Assistant Starter. Under the American racing rules 
the starter, with the approval of the officers of the course, may 
appoint assistant starters, but should they strike a horse at the 
post, or use ungentlemaniy language towards the jockeys, the 
judges have power to impose a fine. 

Asterisk. (*) The asterisk or star, in the American 
Trotting Register, denotes that the performances were made 
against time, to distinguish them from race records. In Ches- 
ter's Trotting and Pacing Record it denotes that the time made 
was over a short track, and is a bar, not a record. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 23 

Asthma. Is closely allied to heaves or broken wind, 
but is less continuous and more paroxysmal. It is generally 
believed to be due to spasm of the small circular muscles that 
surround the bronchial tubes, and its continued existence leads 
to a paralysis of them. It is legal unsoundness. 

Assumed Names. The American racing rules allow 
persons to subscribe or enter under an assumed name, but their 
real and full names must be registered with the clerk of the 
course, and such persons cannot enter or subscribe in any other, 
until they resume their own names or register another 
assumed name. The real or assumed name of any person who 
runs, or, within twenty years, has run horses in the United 
States, shall not be registered. 

Atavism. Taking back. The return to an early or 
original type by its modified descendants; reversion, through 
the influence of heredity, to ancestral characters ; resemblance 
to some remote ancestor, exhibited by an animal or individual. 

Attention. Station; the attitude of a horse when 
awaiting command. In this position he has his head and 
neck raised; ears pricked forward; the profile of his face at 
an angle of about 45 deg. to the ground, and at about a right 
angle to the upper line of the neck — the crest ; the weight pro- 
portionately distributed on all four limbs ; and, as a rule, the 
fore foot of on5 side not so far advanced as its fellow, and its 
hind foot more to the front than the other hind foot. 

Aubin. [Eng.] A moderate gallop or canter. 

Average Time. If the timers of a race catch the time 
of a heat which is found to vary in comparison, the average 
time taken is that which is usually hung out. 

Axle. The arm or spindle on which a wheel revolves, 
or which forms the axis of the wheel and revolves with it. 
The axle of a sulky, carriage or wagon wheel, is the round arm 
of the axle-bar or axletree which is inserted in the nave or hub 
of the wheel, but the name is frequently applied to the com- 
plete axletree. Burgess, in his work on Coach Building, says 
the commonest kind of an oil axle is called the mail, because 
the peculiar mode of fastening was first used in the mail 
coaches. Axle-bar — The bar of an axletree. Axle-box — The 
box which contains the bearings for the arm of an axle ; the 
bushing or metal lining of the hub which forms the rotatory 
bearing of the axle of a sulky or carriage. Axle-socket. — A 
section of seamless steel tubing in the ends of which are fitted 
brass bushings made of interior dimensions of different sizes 
to fit any make or size of axle, and to which is attached the 



24 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

upper ends of the wheel-forks used in changing an axle of the 
high wheel sulky to a sulky receiving the pneumatic wheel. 
Axletree — A bar or beam fixed crosswise under the body of a 
vehicle, having rounded axles at the ends for a pair of wheels 
to revolve upon. 



Baby. A pet term used in describing a young colt. 
Train and educate the colts early — to halter, to bit, to harness ; 
handle them, teach them, let them become accustomed to your 
presence. Baby trutter — A term applied to a colt under two 
years old accustomed to the training track. 

Back. That j)ortion of the spinal column to which the 
ribs are attached. Bounded in front by the withers; behind 
by the loins ; on each side by the ribs. 

Back. The walk extended backwards. 

Back End. [Eng.] The last two months of the racing- 
season. A "back ender" is a horse which appears on the race 
course at the end of the season. 

Backing". Gibbing. A disagreeable form of restive- 
ness, and when so fixed as to have become a habit is a serious 
vice. 

Back Sinews. The flexor tendons or cords which form 
the posterior line of the limb between the knee and the fetlock 
of the fore leg, and between the hock and the fetlock of the 
hind leg. 

Back Strap. The back band of a harness extending 
from the saddle to the crupper. "With the surcingle and bridle, 
it is used in giving the colt his first lessons in education. 

Back Stretch. That part of a race track which is 
opposite to the home stretch ; the back side of an oval course ; 
the place where patrol judges are stationed during a heat or 
race. 

Badminton. The seat of the Duke of Beaufort, K. G., 
at Cheltenham, Wiltshire, England; and name given to the 
volumes of the Library of Sports and Pastimes, including Rac- 
ing, Riding, Driving, edited by him. 

Baked; Burnt; Grain Burnt. A horse that does 
not sweat-out easily and freely after sufficient exercise, is said 
to be " baked " or " burnt." It is very rarely a constitutional 
defect, and is generally due to having been overfed with grain. 

Balance ; Balanced Action. The harmonious action 
of the front and hind limbs of the horse ; to go smooth. It 
seems to be one of the mechanical peculiarities of rapid trot- 



2G HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

ting action, that the hind stroke should overreach the front 
stride. This is the prolific cause of the manifold interferences 
between the hind and front pairs of limbs and feet. It is 
plain, however, that if the body is balanced and the action 
equally balanced, then no interference can take place. But it 
is a difficult matter to accomplish, because the individuality of 
each animal is so unlike. Some horses are long, low striders ; 
some are high, short striders ; some require heavy, some light 
shoes; some require bar, some open shoes; some, shoes that 
are concave on the ground surface ; some, flat shoes ; some, roll- 
ing-motion shoes to quicken the action in front; some need 
toe-weight shoes to lengthen the stride ; some long toes, others 
short ones. These are peculiarities which must be determined 
by the owner and driver. By balancing the hoofs is not meant 
to make them of precisely the same size, as very often, espe- 
cially in case of the front feet, one, usually the off one, is the 
larger. But the foot is balanced when, taking the center of 
the cleft of the frog as the base line, the outer margin of the 
wall, at points equidistant from the leveled heels, measures 
precisely alike on both sides. 

Balk ; Balking" ; Balky. A check or defeat ; to stop 
short and obstinately refuse to move ; a vice. 

Ball. A horse or nag, originally white-faced; used 
appellatively like dun, bayard. 

Ball. A dose of medicine; a form in which certain 
kinds of medicines are administered. They are cylindrical in 
shape, two inches in length and about three-fourths of an inch 
in diameter, and are generally wrapped in tissue paper when 
administered. It is the best form in which to administer 
medicine when it is extremely disagreeable, when the dose is 
not too large, when the horse is hard to drench, and when the 
medicine is intended to act slowly. 

Ball Bearings. Practically perfect spheres, rolled- 
forged from tool steel, hardened and burnished for the axle- 
bearings of sulkies. The sizes chiefly used are 4-16, 5-16 and 
3-8 of an inch. From twenty to twenty-four are placed in the 
cone of each hub. 

it is the ball bearing itself that is most instrumental in reducing the 
friction, and, consequently, the power required to propel the vehi- 
cle; but the pneumatic tire also contributes very materially to the 
general result, inasmucli as, to a great extent, it makes a rough 
road smooth by equalizing small obstructions with much less con- 
cussion tliau the ordinary wheel. The tires and non-friction bear- 
ings have brought a great revolution in the sulky and in speed, 

Balling-up. The filling of the shoe with snow, damp 
earth or mud. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 27 

Bandages. Strips of linen, cotton or flannel used to 
swathe the legs of the horse. They should be from three to 
four inches wide, and of sufficient length to \\a'ap the leg round 
from the lower part of the fetlock to the under part of the 
knee or hock, the folds overlapping, and be provided with two 
strings sewn on to one end, by which the folds may be tied 
and secured in their places. It is quite an art to put on band- 
ages properly, especially where a horse has to take his work in 
them. First have the bandage rolled up smoothly, and com- 
mence a little below the knee, or hock, winding it carefully so 
that there are no creases, till you reach the coronet ; then go 
back with another fold, till you come back above the place 
where you commence, and tie with the same care, keeping the 
strings fiat as they cross over each other, and fasten. It is a 
good plan to have oiled silk or rubber material for wrapping 
outside the bandages used for applying liniment, to prevent 
them from drying up. The purposes served by bandages are : 
To support the legs, their tendons, blood vessels and synovial 
vessels ; to dry and keep the legs warm ; to protect them from 
injury, and by means of which to apply lotions and hot and 
cold water. 

Bar. An obstruction ; to exclude. Time taken on any 
track is a bar, whether made on a short track or one full 
measurement, or whether on a free or an association track. 
Time made under the saddle, or on snow or ice, is a bar for 
races of the same character only ; but time made to wagon is a 
bar or record, as the case may be, in races of every character. 
If it should appear, upon investigation, that any record was 
fraudulently obtained, it is not a record, but a bar. If a race 
takes place upon a track where no purses or prizes are con- 
tested for, and where no admission is taken at the gate, time 
made is a bar, provided judges are appointed and time made 
is announced. If there are no judges and no time announced, 
time made is not a record. In making entries, time previously 
made is a bar to admission in a class slower than the one in 
which the horse is to be entered. 

Bar. Except. The word bar is used instead of the com- 
mon compound form, "debar." When a bookmaker says "ten 
to one bar one," he means that he will lay ten to one against 
any horse, bcw (that is, except) one. 

Bar Bit. The plain, straight mouth-piece of a bridle, 
connecting the checks. Used with straight or curved bars on 
the Liverpool slide principle, and operated on the jointless 
Pelham plan, but differs in construction. It is said that the 



28 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

bar, where the guards pass through the end of it, slips up and 
down, having a play of about half an inch, which eases the 
mouth when the reins are slackened, by letting the bit slip 
dow^n from the pressure on the corners of the mouth. 

Bars of the Hoof. The portions of the wall of the 
hoof which are turned inw^ard at the heels, and run more or 
less parallel to the sides of the frog, along the inner border of 
the sole. 

Bars of tlie Mouth. The continuations of the two 
bones of the lower jaw, on each side, between the back, or 
corner teeth, and the tushes. It is on these that the bit rests. 

Bars of the Tree. The narrow front portions or side- 
pieces connecting the pomel and cantle of a saddle. 

Bar Plate. While the American racing rules do not 
allow a horse to start in a race in ordinary or training shoes, 
and while they give the judges authority to rule off a horse if 
Started in shoes, they do allow bar plates to be used, with the 
consent of the judges. 

Bar Shoes. [Law]. If bar shoes are required to 
enable a horse to do his ordinary work, it is regarded as an 
unsoundness. 

Barb. The horse of the Barbary States — Tunis, Tripoli, 
Fez, Algiers and Morocco, all lying on the northern coast of 
Africa to the west of Egypt. The Barb is not as tall as the 
Arabian, seldom standing more than 14.2 hands high; but in 
other resi^ects is acknowledged to be superior to the Arabian 
in all points of external conformation. The barb blood 
brought into Spain during the Moorish wars so improved the 
Spanish horses that for several centuries they were considered 
the best riding horses of Europe. 

Barrel. The body of the horse ; the space between the 
back and the stomach. A large, barrel-shaped body is evi- 
dence of a horse's possession of good health and high powers 
of endurance ; it is, therefore, a sign that he is sound. 

I would regard rouiiflness of barrel behind the girths ; depth of body, 
(as compared to length of body), in the center of the back, and 
being well ribbed up, as the great signs, in conformation, of a 
horse having good breatliing power.— The Points of the Horse, 
M. Horace Hayes, M. R. C. V. S. 

Bay. The best, most desirable and most fashionable 
color of the horse. Such a color indicates the best blood, the 
highest breeding. Bay, black from the knees and hocks to 
the feet, no white markings, is almost invariably the first 
choice of the purchaser. The color is so called from its resem- 
blance to that of dried bav leaves. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 29 

Bearing" Rein. The clieck-rein ; the rein by which the 
head of the horse is held in place, and by which it is partially 
controlled. 

Beaten. To lose in a race. " When you are beaten, stop 

riding," says Sidney in the Book of the Horse ; " don't punish 

your horse to win second or third place." 

One of John Turner's strong points is that when he is beaten and he 
knows it, he stops punisliing Ids horse right there, and instead of 
wearing liini out trying to do sonietliing impossible, saves him for 
anotlier day.— Life witli tlie Trotters, Joiui Splan. 

Beauty. Gracefulness, pleasing proportions ; an outline 

which delights the eye. 

Beauty of form is never lost sight of in the construction of the horse; 
aiid even great sacrifices of mechanical power are made to maintain 
graceful lines, and that general contour of form that gave to him 
his matchless beauty — beauty so great that to the eye of a super- 
ficial observer it is difficult to decide whether it is subordinate to 
strength or conversely. Both are developed in a perfect horse to 
such a degree that lie has been a favorite theme of poets and paint- 
ers since aesthetic culture has had a place in the history of our race. 
—The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Bedding". Litter : the material of which a bed is made 
for a horse, in his stall or box. Wheat and rye straw are the 
best materials for bedding. They are better than oat straw, 
because stronger, tougher, and more easily s]3read. From eight 
to ten pounds of straw per day furnishes a good bed. Sawdust 
answers very well for a bedding in summer, but in winter 
should only be used when covered on top w ith a layer of straw. 
Sawdust is also used in cases where horses have the bad habit 
of eating the straw used as bedding. In town stables peat- 
moss, or moss-litter is largely used. It is a powerful deodorizer 
and absorbent, makes a soft, elastic bed, and is not eaten, as a 
rule, even by the most inveterate bedding-eating horse. Its use 
keeps the feet soft, and it is said that horses bedded with it 
never require to have their feet " stopped." It is found abund- 
antly in countries on the European continent, whence it is 
imported to England and this country. 

Bell. The trotting rules require that the bell from the 
judges' stand shall be rung ten minutes previous to the time 
announced for the race or heat to take place. If the word is 
not given, all the horses in a heat shall immediately turn at 
the tap of the bell, when scoring, and jog back for a fresh start. 

Bell. In the time of James I., of England, 1603-1625, 
the race courses were called bell courses, the prize being a 
silver bell. The winner was said to bear or carry the bell. 
The first bells awarded as prizes for goodness in horses in 
Britain were wooden, trimmed with flowers, and were given to 
the winners in the train-scents, so called from the body of some 
animal which liad })reviously been drawn across hedge and 



30 HAJs-DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

ditch. The scent being certain and strong, the hounds would 
run upon it with terrible speed, and the matched horses fol- 
lowed them. These wooden bells were replaced by silver ones, 
and were given " to him who should run the best and fleetest 
on horseback on Shrove Tuesday." Hence the phrase " bear- 
ing away the bell." In 1607 this silver bell was replaced by a 
small, golden bell. In 1552 there was an arrangement for an 
annual horse race at Haddington, Scotland, the prize being a 
silver bell. These silver bells were subsequently replaced by 
plates, called king's plates, donated by the king, of the value of 
one hundred guineas. 

Belly. The abdomen ; the large cavity which contains 
the stomach, liver, spleen, intestines, kidneys, bladder, etc., of 
the horse ; the underneath portion of the body which is not 
covered by bone. 

Bellies of the Tree. The broad boards of the saddle 
on which the rider sits. 

Bent Before. When the fore legs of the horse are bent 
forward at the knee, he is said to be " bent before." This may 
proceed from overwork or from pain in the feet, resulting from 
contraction, inflammation, etc., but it more frequently proceeds 
from flat feet. In such cases the animal is unsound. When 
the profile of the fore legs has a deviation of anything more 
than the very slightest, it is a blemish. 

Bet. To pledge as a forfeit to another who makes a 
similar pledge in return, on a future contingency ; a stake ; 
a wager. 

Betting" Round. Laying fairly and equally against 
nearly all the horses in a race so that no great risk can be 
taken. 

Bezoar Stones. Calculi concretions ; hair-balls. For- 
eign bodies or substances found in the stomach and bowels of 
the horse and other domestic animals. They are sometimes 
round, solid concretions, the size of a turkey's egg, of a lime- 
stone nature, composed of a number of concentric coats or 
laminse, each adhering, but, when broken, peeling off in distinct 
pieces. Their outsides are generally polished and perfectly 
smooth. They originate from some matter taken into the 
stomach which the animal has not been able to digest. What 
are known as triple - phosphate calculi are very common in 
horses, especially if they are fed much on shorts. Dr. Noah 
Cressy of Connecticut took a mixed calculi from a horse in 
Vermont, which caused its death, that weighed thirteen ounces, 
measured four inches in diameter, and was so large that it 
could not pass the bowels. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 31 

B. h. These letters, in a summary of a race, following 
or preceding the name of the animal, denote "bay horse." 

Big'-g'aited. A term used to describe a long-striding 
horse, one which has a sweeping gait, going wide apart behind, 
and moving strong but easy with every step. 

Bike. Used, for short, to distinguish the pneumatic 
sulky from the high wheel sulky ; contraction for bicycle. 

Billets. The ends of the reins or of the check-pieces of 
the bridle, which buckle on to the bit. 

Bislioping". The method employed by gyps and unprin- 
cipled dealers to change the appearance of the incisors of the 
lower jaw, to make the horse seem younger than it really is — a 
method which can only deceive buyers who are ignorant of the 
horse's mouth. The art consists in giving to the tables or sur- 
face of the teeth an artificial cup of a dark color. The teeth 
are first filed even, and a new cup is made by the aid of a grav- 
ing instrument, which is blackened by the point of a white-hot 
iron or the use of nitrate of silver. The trick is seldom 
effected in a natural manner, for the mark is of a brownish hue 
rather than black, and, moreover, a ring of a lighter color 
encircles it, occasioned by the heat of the instrument employed. 
The tushes are generally filed down to point them and make 
them appear fresh and small, like those of a horse five years of 
age, as this is the age "bishoiDers " all try to imitate — but the 
work may be detected by the unnatural shape and roughened 
surface. 

A cant term made use of by farriers' jockies, by whicli they mean the 
nnfair practices which are made use of to conceal the age of an oki 
horse or the ill properties of a bad one. — A Dictionary of Farriery, 
J. Hunter, London, 1796. 

This name is derived fron:» the name of an English body-snatching mis- 
creant. Bishop, who nsed to sell the teeth of his murdered or 
exhnmed corpses to dentists for tlie refitting up old mouths. — Tricks 
and Traps of Horse Dealers, Henry William Herbert, 

Bit. The metal part of a bridle which is inserted in 
the mouth of a horse, with the appendages, rings, side-pieces, 
etc., to which the reins are fastened. The bit rests against the 
bars of the lower jaw, those parts of the jaw where there are 
no teeth — that is, between the corner incisors and the tusks. 
They are used for controlling the horse according to his own 
peculiar disposition and the service required of him. As a 
general rule, horses requiring bits of extraordinary severity or 
poAver are either naturally vicious, or were spoiled when being- 
educated to the bit. Bits may be described under two classes : 
Standard, or those for general use; and special, or those for 
particular horses and purposes. The former embrace those for 
road, driving, coach and park uses; and the latter those used 



32 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

ill handling, training or driving trotting and racing horses. 
The first class is much the smaller, comprising those standard 
bits which have been used unchanged for more than a quarter 
of a century, and are still so well adapted to their purposes as 
to be incapable of improvement. The second class is charac- 
terized by great variety. As has been said, doubtless with 
much truth, that nearly every horse on the course or turf 
requires a different bit, it will readily be seen how the various 
forms and peculiarities of bit' now in use, have an excuse for 
their being. A great driver uses a bit of some novel form for 
a great horse, and it at once becomes adopted by other drivers, 
and upon horses of supposed similar peculiarities of mouth or 
disposition. This is one reason for the increase in the number 
of bits of diverse patterns. Again, different bits are required 
for hard or tender mouths, for tongue loUers, for side pullers, 
for horses having peculiar dispositions or odd ways of going 
special to their own individuality, and this calls for bits of 
different form or bearing, designed for the particular service the 
horse is performing. Under these two classes, only the lead- 
ing bits, those best known and most popular among the great 
trainers, drivers and riders, are named, with a brief description 
of their characteristics. I. Bm\ Straight bar with guards ; 
Bridoon or watering, a plain jointed bar with small side rings ; 
Bridoon, with half guards; Bridoon, with double joint and 
half guards ; Carriage, with bar for curb and bearing rein ; 
Carriage bit and bridoon, with arched bar for the play of the 
tongue; Cavalry or military, a powerful, severe bit, has an 
arched bar and single rein; Cavalry (U. S. Army) bit and 
bridoon, has two bits, a curb, two reins; Common snaffle, 
straight bar and single jointed; Double-jointed snaffle for 
hard pullers; Double-barred snaffle, similar in action to the 
double pantograph ; Expansion snaffle, opening in the center of 
the bar; Liverpool with straight or curved bar and sliding 
attachment; Mexican ring, a severe, cruel bit, the ring hard 
and unyielding, pressing on the roof of the mouth, the bar hav- 
ing two or three tags similar to a mouthing bit ; Mouthing, a 
jointed bar having three tags, and also a straight bar with from 
six to ten pendants or tags ; Plain snaffle, stiff or jointed bar 
with guards or half guards; Plain jointed snaffle, with crest 
strap; Pelham, a plain or jointed bar, the joint more of a 
hinge than a loop ; Pantograph snaffle, a double barred bit, the 
joints unequal, making a double converging action; Shifting, 
the bar having a shifting motion across the mouth from side 
to side, as one or the other rein is drawn, and acting like a 
gag ; Wire snaffle, of twisted wire, thin, sharp and rough. 11. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 33 

1: Driving — Allerton, a steel jointed snaffle, rubber covered; 
Allie Wilkes, rawhide covered with pork rind, for a tender 
mouth; Adjustable curb, curb overdraw; Axtel, rawhide, 
covered with leather ; Baldwin, a straight bar with half guards 
for pullers and side pullers ; Britt, bar bit for pullers ; Case's 
easy check, with chin rest ; Cribbing bit ; Cribbing and wind 
sucking, for preventing wind sucking and cribbing ; Crit Davis, 
overcheck, with loop bar to prevent lugging; Colby, leather, 
with adjustable nose band; Colt mouthing; Chain, a plain 
chain mouth-bit with rings ; Dexter, jointed bar, or stiff, plain 
ring with no cheek-piece ; Double-bar, overcheck, to prevent lug- 
ging; Dan Mace snaffle; Ellis' all-leather, overcheck; Fair- 
banks check, leather covered ; Four-ring ; Furlong, for pullers ; 
Flexible, rubber track, a w^rought chain, rubber covered; 
Golden, plain bar, half guards; Hanscom, flexible mouth-bit, 
leather covered; Henry check, plain bar; Hercules rubber, a 
double jointed snaffle, rubber covered, with half guards; 
Imperial, for tongue lolling; J. I. C, with double bar, half 
guards ; Leather, leather covering a wrought chain ; Lever over- 
check, to prevent pulling; Lindsey humane, with chain rest 
and overdraw check attachment ; Magic safety, adjustable bar 
with rings ; Miles' sensible controlling, for tongue lollers ; 
Merriam's pulley; Ne Plus Ultra, a double arched bar; 
Nodine, rubber covered, with half guards ; Perfection, jointed 
snaffle and double bar, for pullers and tongue lollers; Plain 
overcheck, plain or jointed, with rings ; Racine, double bar ; 
RockAvell ; Rowley Si3ring, rubber covered ; Prof. Sanborn's 
controlling, jointed bar, with ball, and inside rings for nose 
band ; Squires' Hercules, a double-jointed snaffle ; Springsteen, 
a hinge-bar, with extra rings for overcheck, the hinge not 
allowing the check-pieces to come close together; Sloat's 
automatic curb ; Squires' humane driving ; Stalkers' breaking ; 
Tongue lolling, a stiff bar with center pad, rubber covered; 
Victor, jointed snaffle for side pullers ; W., mouth bit for pul- 
lers; Wilson, four-ring, with plain joint, or middle joint; 
Woodmansee, for pullers. 2 : Riding — Burgess' combination, 
a double jointed bit with half guards ; Dan Mace, hand forged 
steel, plain bar; Daniels' English steel port; English riding 
bridoon ; Frost's rubber covered ; Kentucky racking, cm-ved 
cheek; Norton bit; Pelham, jointed bar; Rockwell, jointed 
snaffle; Whitman riding; AVilson, single or double joint, 
buckle overchecks, and cheeks with small rings. 3 : Coach 
hits — Balloon check, sliding mouth; Buxton, sliding mouth, 
loose cheek; Duke's bend; Hanoverian, both stiff and loose 
check, wrought bar, two loops ; Liverpool, sliding mouth ; Pul- 
3 



34 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

ley bridoon. 4 : Gig bit — Squirrel-tail style, stationary cheek. 
5 : Miscellaneous — Burton's drenching bit for administering 
medicines ; Green's operating bit, having an adjustable double- 
bar, with sliding side-pieces fastened by set-screws, to hold the 
jaws open while performing operations. 

The bit has a wide field in botli its general use and in its individual 
operations, which, in tlie saddle horse's mouth, is or should be 
magical. Every horse Ave see employed, has a bit in his mouth; 
every race is lost and won with the bit, and under its management 
millions of dollars a year change hands. It plays its part in all the 
equine feats, interests and operations in every land, Avhether 
civilized or barbaric, in both peace and war, and in the truck, cart, 
car and agricultiiral interests it plays its most humble, yet impor- 
tant part. While in war, a nation might as well lay down its arms 
as to relinquish the bit.— The Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Bit and Bridoon. A double bridle. The bridle has 
two distinct bits — the curb bit and the bridoon bit. If one bit 
or rein should break there is one of each left. Each bit has a 
separate headstall, and to each bit there is a separate rein. A 
rnartingale is used with this bridle, and so looped on the over- 
lapping girth that both girths shall fit tight to the horse. A 
perfect bit for pleasure riding. The bridoon rein on which the 
martingale hangs is less than an inch wide, but its strength 
corresponds with the power used with it in holding the horse 
up while riding in ordinary, lifting him at the leap, or in bear- 
ing the strain of the martingale if necessarily short. Col. 
Battersby says of it that " for use on the road or in the park, it 
is the embodiment of perfection, and can never be improved 
upon or surpassed." 

Bitting" Rig". The bitting rig for gentling and educat- 
ing young colts consists of bridle, saddle or surcingle, and 
crupper. The bit should be the plain, jointed snafile, and the 
bridle will have the ordinary side check. 

Bitting, Good. The characteristics of good bitting are 
lightness, accuracy, easy motion and a total absence of stiff- 
ness, constraint or painful action. If these be attained as the 
result of careful handling and correct education, ready obedi- 
ence to the rider's hand and heel will be the result. 

Blanket. See Clothing. 

Blaze. A white spot on the face of a horse of dark 
color. 

Blemisli. A defect; any mark or imperfection which 
impairs beauty or diminishes value. Among the blemishes in 
the exterior of the horse are : Enlargements upon the limbs 
which do not impede the horse in his work, like curby hocks ; 
roach back; scars from wounds or sores; bald places on the 
skin, and the profile of the fore legs when they have a devia- 
tion forward of anything more than the very slightest. 



HANDBOOK or THE TUKF. 35 

Blind. A hood so constructed that it will cover the eyes 
of a horse if he attempts to run ; a piece of horse clothing. 

Blind Bridle. A bridle having blinders or side-pieces 
to protect the horse's eyes. 

Blinkers. Blinders, blinds, blinkers, winkers; the 

leather flaps placed at the sides of a horse's head, and attached 

to the bridle or headstall, to prevent him from seeing sidewise 

or backward. 

For the buggy, cart, car, stage, Avagoii, truck and general business 
horse they are unnecessary. In the carriage or park liorse, wanted 
for show or fashion, they may be used, as they admit of crest or 
ornament, and set off the horse and harness in fine style.— Tlie 
Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Blindness in a horse constitutes an unsoundness. 

Bl'k. c., bl'k h., or bl'k m., in a summary of a race, pre-" 
ceding the name of the horse, indicate black colt, black horse 
and black mare, respectively. 

Blood. The use of this w^ord, or term, signifies more or 
less of pure descent from animals of the English stud-book, or 
from high-cast Arabs, or the great sires of the American bred 
trotting and running horse. 

Blood and Bog- Spavins usually produce lameness, 
and both constitute unsoundness. 

Blood Lines. Explained by the quotation : 

The brood mares at the Browne farm are standard under the highest 
rule that lias yet been formulated. They are either the possessors 
of records of 2':30 or better Diemselves, have produced a 2:30 trotter, 
or are out of mares to which the same distinction attaches; and 
when it is said that every one of them — 100 per cent. — comes under 
tills head, the high standard of the form in regard to blood lines is 
seea. — Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

BlOAV ; BloAV Out. Labored breathing ; to let a horse 

get his \\T.nd after a heat. Occasionally a horse will do it in 

five minutes, they are good ones ; others will be from a half 

to three-quarters of an hour. Some horses, those of strong, 

perfect wind, show no labored respiration after a heat. Charles 

Marvin says of one he drove : " She cooled out to please me 

and did not blow in the least." 

Blue Bull. The great pacing sire of trotters ; the phe- 
nomenon of trotting-horse history. He was bred by Elijah 
Stone, Stone's Crossing, Johnson County, Indiana. Foaled in 
Switzerland County, Ind., in 1854. By Pruden's Blue Bull, by 
Herring's Blue Bull; dam Queen, by Young Selim, second 
dam unknown. "A plebeian of the plebeians." He was chest- 
nut in color, and stood a trifle over 1.5 hands high. He died, 
the property of James Wilson, Bushville, Ind., July 11, 1880. 
He was wonderfully fast at the pacing gait, and even after 



36 HAI^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

having been crippled, could show great flights of speed — pac- 
ing quarters in 30 seconds. He stands second only to the 
greatest of trotting sires, although it is not known that he 
could trot a step, nor that he inherited a drop of trotting 
blood. For many years he figured as the sire of more trotters 
than any horse that ever lived, and it was only during 1887, 
three years before his death, that he yielded the honor to 
George Wilkes. 

Blue Grass. The Poa pratensis of botanists, otherwise 
known as June gTass, green meadow grass, common spear 
grass, smooth-stalked meadow grass. It accommodates itself 
to a wide range of climate, soil and other conditions, and is 
found in Great Britain, Asia and Australia. Prof. W. J. Beal, 
of the Michigan Agricultural College, says, in his " Grasses of 
North America," that "frequent experiments and careful study 
by botanists, prove that the Kentucky blue grass and June 
grass of the Northern States are identical — one and the same. 
It stands at the head of the list of cultivated grasses, and 
repeated analyses show it to be nearly twice as nutritious, 
weight for weight, as timothy ; but it attains its highest lux- 
uriance and perfection as a pasture grass. It requires about 
three years to become well established, but makes a firm sod 
and bears close and heavy grazing.'^ 

Blue Grass Region ; Blue Grass Trotters. Ap- 
plied to the State of Kentucky, and to Kentucky horses. ' 

Blue Ribbon of the Turf. The English Derby. The 
highest honor within the bestowal of the Crown of England 
is the Knighthood of the Garter, and the insignia of the Gar- 
ter is a blue ribbon. Noblemen and wealthy or influential 
commoners have striven their utmost to obtain this crowning- 
honor ; but none of them have used more energy, skill or dar- 
ing than has been applied during the last thirty years to the 
winning of the greatest honors of the turf. Admiral Rous, 
who was president of the Jockey Club from 1848 to 1860, is 
credited with applying the name " blue ribbon " to the winner 
of the Derby, and the name was accepted. Mr. Louis Henry 
Curzon's history of the Derby, published in London in 1890, 
under the title, " The Blue Ribbon of the Turf," was printed 
with blue ink. 

After the Derby Day, in 1848, wliicli was won by Surplice, formerly 
owned by Lord Cliarles Bentinclc, Lord Beaconsfield— Mr. Benjamin 
D'Israeli— made celebrated the "superb groan" that escaped Hie 
lips of Lord Charles on hearing of the victory of this colt— which 
he had formerly owned and then so ruefully regretted having 
parted with, so long had he been eager to win the Derby, which 
honor he never obtained. Beaconsfield was endeavoring to sym- 
pathize with Lord Bentiuck on his sorrow, in the library of the 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 37 



House of Commons, and the latter moaned out : " Yon do not know 

what the Derby is." "Yes 1 do," replied Beaeoiisfield, " it is the 
blue ribbon of the turf." — Tlie Blue Kibbon of the Turf, Louis Henry 
Curzon. 

Body-Tf^ash. A preparation used as a body-bath for 
the trotter after he has been given work. The formula gen- 
erally used is : Compound soap liniment, sixteen ounces ; 
liquid ammonia, two ounces ; tincture cantharides, two ounces ; 
tincture opium, two ounces ; mix and add about two ounces of 
this preparation to one pint of water and one pint of Pond's 
Extract of Witch-hazel. After the horse has come in from 
work, scrape quickly, wash as above, rub the loins and muscles 
of the shoulders, and put on his clothing according to the 
weather. 

Bolt. To swallow hurriedly without chewing. Where 
horses are addicted to this habit, Dr. James Law recommends 
that they be given a little hay, to appease hunger, before being 
fed grain. 

Bolt. To spring aside or away, suddenly. A horse 
that bores to one side, or out of the line the rider wishes to 
take, is called a bolter. By the racing rules, if a horse bolts 
or leaves the course, he must turn back and run the course 
from the point at which he left it. When bolting results from 
defective vision, or a rush of blood to the head, it renders the 
horse unsound. 

Bones. The total number of bones entering into the 
skeleton of the horse is 189, viz. : In the vertebral column, 
44 ; head, 28 ; thorax, 37. In the following parts of the skel- 
eton, which are called the double regions, the bones are the 
same in number on each side, and in the enumeration the 
total number is given, viz. : Shoulder, 2 ; arm, 2 ; forearm, 4 ; 
fore foot, 32 ; pelvis, 2 ; thigh, 2 ; leg, 6. 

, Bone Spavin in the hock is unsoundness, and a breach 
of warranty, though not producing lameness at the time, or 
even for years after. 

Book-maker. One who makes a book on a race, or 
other contingent event. In betting, there are two parties — 
one called " layers," as the book-makers are termed, and the 
others called "bookers," or "bookies," in which class may be 
included owners of horses, as well as the public. The backer 
takes the odds which the book-maker lays against a horse, the 
former speculating upon the success of the animal, the latter 
upon its defeat. Taking the case of Cremorne, for the Derby 
of 1872, just before the race, the book-maker would have laid 
three to one, or, perhaps, ^5,000 to $1,500 against him, by 



38 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

which transaction, if the horse won, as he did, the backer 
would win |5,000 for risking $1,500, and the book-maker lose 
the $5,000 which he risked to win the smaller sum. 

Past Epsom's spring, again we try 

Our luclf with bookies and witli horses 

On yet anotlier field, where lie 
Tlie mysteries of tlie Guineas' courses. 

— Bird 'o Freedom. 

Boots. Protective coverings for the hoof and leg of the 
horse, designed to guard them against injury from cutting, 
overreaching, or interfering when in motion. From the plain, 
simple quarter boot or scalper of 1870, to the more than two 
hundred patterns of artistically made and ingeniously contrived 
combination boots of the present day, the evolution has been 
rapid, varied, and remarkable ; and the universality of their 
use may be inferred from the fact that one single house in 
Boston alone, sells more than $10,000 worth annually of the 
various patterns. Boots are used on both the racing and trot- 
ting turf, and no stable is complete without an outfit sufficient 
for every horse and for all emergencies. Among the leading 
types are : Ankle ; ankle and shin ; ankle and speedy cut ; ankle 
with heel extension ; arm ; arm and knee ; calking ; coronet ; 
double shin ; double shin and ankle ; elbow ; elastic compress ; 
elastic kniickler ; heel ; hinged knee, shin, and ankle ; hock ; 
hoof and speedy cut ; knee ; knee, shin, and ankle ; knee and 
arm; loaded, or weighted; passing; pastern; quarter; ring; 
running ; scalping ; shin ; shin, ankle, and speedy cut ; soaking ; 
swivel ; toe ; toe and speedy cut. Under each of these leading 
forms are numerous ingenious combinations adapted for 
horses of peculiar conformation or erratic gait which cannot be 
well described. They are made of French calfskin, felt, Ker- 
sey, cording, elastic shirring, and buckskin, according to the 
different purposes for which they are used. Boots are very 
necessary for colts when they are being gaited, and when th^ 
gait is established they may for a time be left off with safety ; 
although very few trotters are able to dispense with them 
entirely, while many of them could not be used on the turf at 
all except for these appliances. 

No horse or colt will fall to hitching and hobbling if he is properly pro- 
tected with l:>oots, unless he is sore or over-hurried. Because 
we l)00t a colt is no reason for supposing that we know he will 
strike himself. They are used as a safeguard — as a precaution 
against possible accidents and injuries that may come to the truest- 
gaited and most honest of horses; and it gives the horse confidence 
to strike out fearlessly. No judicious or experienced trainer will 
ever attempt to work colts without first properly booting them. — 
Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

A horse may go for a month or a year and never hit himself, and then 
some day lie may step in a hole or some other accident befall him, 
and for the want of a boot in the proper place ruin liini as a race 
horse. No horse should ever be driven without shin boots on the 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 89 



hind legs. Very few, if any, horses can go Mathoiit scalpers. I 
think it absolutely necessary that a horse should liave quarter 
boots. Some horses wear knee and arm boots, a few wear elbow 
boots, and still others have to wear what is called a brisket pad; 
and if a horse shows a disposition to hit himself in anyplace the 
first thing to do is to have him properly booted. After a horse ha.s 
hurt himself a few times he gets timid and won't try to extend him- 
self. — Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 
Boots are absolutely necessary with horses that habitually interfere, 
and with colts whose i^eculiarities ia this resjject are unknown, 
and with all horses doing strong work. They should be worn up to 
the time they start f<n- a race. It may also be sometimes necessary 
to put them on in the stable in case of horses that are restive when 
being groomed, apt to throw their legs about, paw, and otherwise 
incur the risk of accident. They must fit the leg, and the buckles 
must not be drawn too tighlly so as to impede the cir(;ulation or 
fray the skin. They should be always kept clean and dry. — How to 
Train the Racehorse, Col. R. Warburton. 

Boring'. A habit with some horses of carrying the head 
too low, or too far out to one side, at the same time boring on 
the bit as though they would drive the fore feet into the 
ground. It is inveterate with some horses. To overcome the 
habit, hold both curb-reins and the left snaffle-rein in the left 
hand, in the proper position ; then with the right snaffle-rein 
only in the right hand, draw it upward so as to press the snaffle 
against the corner of the mouth on one side. This has an 
elfect that an upward pressure on both snaffle-reins entirely 
fails to produce, and is said to be effectual in overcoming this 
bad habit ; which habit occasionally leads to the disqualifica- 
tion of a horse for the course. 

Boston. A famous American race horse. Bred by John 
Wickham of Richmond, Ya. Foaled in Henrico County, Va., 
in 1833. He was chestnut in color, stood 15.2 hands high; 
was short-limbed, with a flat barrel, his neck and head were 
unsightly, and his hips ragged. By Timoleon, by Sir Archy, 
by English Diomed ; dam by Florizel, by English Diomed ; 
second dam by imported Alderman. Between 1836 and 1841 
he started forty-five times ; won forty, lost five ; total winnings 
$51,200. Defeated by the chestnut mare, Fashion, at Union 
Course, Long Island, N". Y., May 10, 184:2, in four-mile heats 
for 120,000 a side ; time 7:32^ ; 7:45. 

Botfly; Oadfly. (GastropJiilus equi). A dipterous insect. 
The fly deposits its eggs on the shoulder, base of the neck and 
inner parts of the fore legs, especially about the* knees, as in 
these situations the horse will have no difficulty in reaching 
the ova with its tongue. In a little less than three weeks from 
the time of the deposition of the eggs the larvse have made 
their escape, having been hatched by the warmth and moisture 
of the tongue. As maggots they are transferred to the mouth 
and ultimately to the stomach along with food and drink where 



40 HAN^DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

they firmly adhere to the cuticular portion of the stomach by 
means of two large cephalic hooks. After the bots have 
attained perfect growth, they voluntarily yield their hold and 
allow themselves to be carried along the alimentary canal until 
they escape with the faeces. They sooner or later fall to the 
ground and bury themselves under the surface to undergo trans- 
formation into the pupa state, where, after a period of six or 
seven weeks they emerge from their pupal cocoons as perfect 
insects. Bots usually pass about eight months of their life- 
time in the digestive organs of the horse. 

Bottom, Native strength ; stamina ; courage ; power of 
endurance. Of a horse possessing great courage and staying 
quality, it is said that he has *' gTeat bottom ;" " good bottom." 

Bow LiCg-ged. A defective conformation, usually notice- 
able in the hind legs, whereby the feet are so shaped that the 
greater strain comes upon the outside, the hocks bowing 
outwardly. 

Box ; Box-stall ; Loose Stall. A room into which a 
horse is tmmed loose. The average size is 14 by 16 feet, 
although 14 by 18 is preferred by some. They are generally 
without any manger or feed rack for the hay, with an iron feed 
box fastened to one corner. Many, however, prefer that the 
feed box should be entirely detached from the stall, and be 
removed as soon as the horse is done eating. The hay is placed 
on the jfioor in one corner of the room, and thus there are no 
projections, boxes, mangers, racks, or sharp angles upon which 
a spirited horse may injure himself. In such a room the horse 
is not confined by halter, has perfect liberty of movement, and 
the liability of injury is reduced to a minimum. 

Boxes. Metal tubes fitted to the arms of the axletree, 
fixed firm in the hub or nave of a sulky or carriage wheel to 
contain oil. 

Brace. The iron part supporting and connecting the 
axle of a bicycle sulky to the shaft or thill, where the same 
has been changed over from the high wheel sulky. 

Bran Mash. Given as a conditioner, periodically, and 
according to the best judgment of the trainer regarding the 
characteristics of his horses, bran or shorts, made in mashes 
with boiling water poured upon it and allowed to cool, is the 
best laxative. Thus prepared, it is not without nutritive 
qualities. By the action of the boiling water a mucilage is 
formed which cannot be created in the stomach of the animal. 
Its laxative action is caused by the mechanical friction of the 
grains on the mucous membrane. It should not be given dry 



HAIv^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 41 

or mixed with oats, or moistened with cold water. It is 
hardly necessary to state that it should be fresh and sweet. 

Break. To change from one gait to another; to dis- 
unite the diagonal beats. In doing this the horse endeavors to 
accelerate his speed by longer strides without passing into the 
gallop, which he would do if not held back or if the m'ging by 
whip or voice were continued. Also, a common but wrong 
word used to designate the early training or education of the 
colt; to break a colt is to accustom it to the harness and 
vehicle ; to subdue, to train, to educate. 

Breaking". The act of changing gaits at speed. In 
breaking, a horse usually gives some sign to the driver, either 
by a wobble, jerk or instantaneous change, that he is to break, 
and by understanding this peculiarity of the horse, the driver 
can generally save the break, provided the horse is under good 
control. In the early days, before the wholesome discipline of 
the trotting rules came into force, horses were taught to break 
in order to gain, but now such a manner of training is obsolete 
— ^it is the square, steady trotter that wins and always has the 
protection of the track and judges. The National and Ameri- 
can rules provide that a horse in breaking must be immedi- 
ately pulled to his gait, and if this is not done, the driver is 
liable to lose the heat even though he come out ahead, and the 
next best horse given the heat. Repeated breaks, running or 
going in a mixed gait, while another horse is trotting, is liable 
to result in punishment to such horse. A horse breaking four 
times in one heat is regarded as "repeatedly breaking." If a 
driver, in the opinion of the judges, allows his horse to make 
repeated breaks for the purpose of fraudulently losing a heat, 
he is liable to severe penalty. The judges must call out by 
colors, letters or numbers, and the clerk or assistant shall 
record the breaks made by each horse in each heat. 

I for one believe that tlie time will come when no horse will be entitled, 
to a heat it he makes a break in it, and I Avould vote for that now.— 
Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Break-aiid-Catcli. The art of driving in a way to 
make the horse catch quickly after a break, is one of supreme 
importance to the driver. The methods, however, will vary 
with horses of different dispositions, and the driver shoidd find 
out by careful study, the best way in which a horse can be 
brought to his gait. In whatever manner it is done, after 
ascertaining that which is best, do it exactly the same every 
time, using the same rein, the same pull or catch of bit, and 
the same word. There are many good reasons why the horse 
should be taught to catch on the inside rein, or near side. 



42 HANDBOOK OF THE TTJRF. 

Break Away. A horse that gets control of his driver, 

and jumps and runs at the score or when getting the word, is 
said to " break away." 

Break Down. A strain of the suspensory ligament; 
the severest form of injury which this sinew can endure. The 
structure lies between the shank-bone and the back tendons 
and extends from the back of the lower part of the knee to the 
sesamoids, or small bones which form the pulley for the tendons 
behind the fetlock. The seat of the sprain or break may be 
at any part, but is usually in the lower third of the shank, 
where it divides into an inner and an outer branch. The 
sprain may cause but a slight swelling, or the ligament may be 
completely torn across, the fetlock descending to the ground 
and the toe turning up. In the case of severe injuries of this 
nature the limb is spoiled for life, and no art can ever replace 
the structures which have been disorganized. 

Breastplate. The wide strap of the harness which 
goes round the breast of the horse, to which the tug or trace is 
buckled, and by which the sulky or carriage is drawn. 

Breeching". That part of the harness which goes round 
the hind legs or breech, from one side to the other, to prevent 
the carriage or sulky from pressing against the horse, and to 
back it when required. 

Breeching Straps. Straps attached to the breeching 
at that point on each side where the hip straps are connected 
with it, extending to the hold-back irons of the shafts. 

Breed. A race or progeny from the same line of 
ancestry having an alliance by some distinguishing qualities 
in common, which are transmitted by heredity. 

Breeder. According to turf rulings the breeder is the 
man who owns or controls the mare when she is bred to the 
horse; not the person who owns the dam when the colt is 
foaled. 

Breeders' Certificate. A wiiting given by a breeder 
to the purchaser of a horse, containing a copy of his pedigree 
as given in the stud book or trotting register, certifying that 
the horse is the one described; or containing a pedigree and 
certificate that such horse is eligible to registry. 

Breeders' Record. A term formerly much used to 
describe the results of a private trial of speed. It has no 
meaning, or significance, or value. There is no such thing 
recognized as a breeders' record. 

Breeding. The rearing of live stock of any class, partic- 
ularly by combining or crossing one strain of a species or 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 43 

variety with another, with the object of improving the breed. 
Scientific breeding consists in throwing the strength of all the 
inherited tendencies into one channel, concentrating all the 
ruling forces on one objective point, and thus reaching a 
certain result. In breeding for the turf, we should couple a 
sire and dam of trotting inheritance and that are trotters them- 
selves; or those combining purity of blood and the racing- 
lineage, with the true conformation for speed. These are the 
requisite qualities, and we should be able to judge of the merits 
of the prospective offspring, according to the trotting or racing 
merits of the sire and dam, the grandsire and grandam, and 
so on backward, the chances of success being in proportion to 
the strength and unity of the inheritance. Offspring from 
such unions will be colts that trot naturally, that can be 
developed rapidly with little help from artificial aids ; and also 
those that make the highest winners on the racing turf. 

Br. g". An abbreviation for "brown gelding," when 
used before or after the name of a horse in a list of entries or 
in the summary of a race. Also used with a c, m, or h, to 
denote a colt, mare or horse of the same color. 

Bridle. That part of the harness which is fitted to the 
horse's head, and by which it is controlled. Its pieces are : 
Crownpiece, which passes over the horse's poll; cheek-pieces, 
which connect the crownpiece with the bit; throat-latch, a 
part of the crownpiece which serves to prevent the bridle from 
slipping over the horse's head, by passing under the throat; 
forehead band, browband or front, which goes across the 
horse's forehead; headstall, the name given to the foregoing 
leather work, when in a collected form, and to which is 
attached the snaffle, the bit and bridoon, the Chifney bit, (an 
English bit very severe in its action,) or the Pelham ; lipstrap, 
■which serves to keep the cin-bchain in its place ; reins, con- 
nected to the rings of the curb or snaffle ; billets, the ends of 
the reins or of the cheek-pieces of the bridle, which buckle on 
the bit ; loops or keepers, which serve, when buckles are used, 
to retain the ends of the billets ; stops, used with reins which 
have buckles, to prevent the martingale rings catching on the 
buckles ; bridoon head, the headstall of the snaffle or double 
bridle — it has neither throat latch nor forehead band. 

Bridle Hand. The left hand is called the bridle hand 
in contradistinction to the right hand, which is termed the 
whip hand. 

Bridoon ; Bradoon. A light snaffle or bit ox a bridle 
used in addition to the principal bit, and with a separate rein. 



44 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Bring" Home. Riders and drivers carrying weights 
during a lieat must bring home with them the weights which 
have been approved or announced correct. 

Brisket. The lower part of the horse's chest. 

Broken-back. Horses that are broken-backed, or 
" chinked in the chine," are unsound. 

Broken Wind. Heaves. An unsoundness. 

Broncliitis. Inflammation of the large air tubes within 
the lungs. An unsoundness. 

Brusli. A fast spurt of speed ; a fast clip ; an effort of 
extreme movement ; a short work — usually half a mile ; to go 
a short distance at a high rate of speed. 

It is not well to briisli the liorse always over the same groiiBd, for he 
will then learn to stop at certain places on the track. — Training the 
Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

At the end of every mile I would brush him a hiuidred yards or so, as 
fast as he conld go.— Life with tlie Trotters, John Splan. 

Brushy Horse. A brushy horse is one capable of a 

high rate of speed for a short distance only ; a quarter horse. 

Aral) and J. Q. were two very brushy horses. — Life with the Trotters, 
John Splau. 

Buck and Fly. [Eq.] The bucking leap is similar to 
that of a deer, and obtaining its name from thence. The fore 
legs and hind quarters are gathered in under the body, and 
the horse springs from all four legs at the same moment. The 
fore legs are tucked close under the body, while the hind 
limbs are thrown out as far behind as possible. In the flying 
leap the chief object of the rider is to maintain firm hold with 
his legs and thighs, and to lean sufficiently backward the 
instant the spring is felt, remaining in that position until the 
horse has firmly landed with his hind feet. 

Bucking'; Buck- jumping. [Eq.] A bucking horse, 
with the quickness of thought, throws his head down between 
his fore legs, arches his back at the same instant, bounds in 
the air with all four feet together, either forward, to one side, 
or even backward, till he dislodges his rider, breaks the girths, 
gets through the saddle, or tires himself out. Buckers are 
generally quiet to mount, but the moment they feel the weight 
of the rider in the saddle will do their best to throw him. 
The instant the rider feels the horse arching his back, prepar- 
atory to bucking, he should pull him quickly round to one 
side or the other ; or put into the horse's mouth, in addition 
to the riding bit, a racing snaffle, having a strong rein knotted 
close to his neck, the slack end to be held in hand. This will 
not annoy the horse unless he tries to get his head down, 
when it will generally be effectual in stopping it. 



ha:n^dbook of the turf. 45 

Buckle. A metallic clasp, with one or more movable 
tongues within the clasp, for the purpose of holding together 
two straps, or belts, or the ends of the same piece of leather, 
upon a harness. 

Buck Knees. Knees inclining towards each other. 

Bug"g"y. [Eng.] A light, one-horse, two-wheeled vehicle, 
without a top or hood. In the United States the word is ap- 
plied to a light, one-horse, four-wheeled carriage, with one 
seat, and either witli or without a top. 

Buttock, Point of. The bony prominence which is 
the rearmost point of the pelvis. It is a few inches below the 
root of the tail. 

Buttresses. The points of the wall of the hoof, on 
each side near the heel, where it suddenly bends inward and 
forward. 



Cade. To bring up, or nourish by hand, or -with tender- 
ness ; domesticated. The name of a great stallion by the 
Godolphin Arabian, out of Eoxana; foaled in 1734. He was 
so called from the fact that he was brought up on cow's milk, 
his dam dying when he was ten days old. Roxana was by 
Devonshire Childers, owned by Lord Godolphin. 

Cadence. That motion of the gallop in which the fore 
feet and hind feet strike the ground with equal force, the 
neck and tail being perfectly supple. 

Cadger. A knavish horse-dealer. 

Calk ; Calkin. A spur projecting downward from the 

horseshoe, serving to prevent slipping. See Shoeing. 

Calks are detrimental under any circnnislances, and should always be 
avoided if possible. — Prof. D. D. Slade, Harvard University, 

Campaig'ning". Taking horses through a circuit, or 
from one place to another, and entering them for purses at the 
various races. 

Canker. A stubborn inflammation of the frog, by 
some attributed to a parasitic fungus. It is an unsoundness. 

Canon Bone. One of the complete metacarpal, or 
metatarsal bones in the legs of the horse. The former, in the 
fore leg, extends from the carpus, or so-called knee, to the fet- 
lock joint; and the latter in the hind leg from the tarsus, or 
so-called hock, to the fetlock joint. A line dividing the canon 
from the fetlock is one drawn across the leg immediately 
above the prominence caused by the fetlock joint. 

Canter. A gait of transition which the trotter assumes 
temporarily, and in which he gallops on one of his legs, fore 
or hind, while he continues to trot on the others. 

Canterbury Gallop. The hand-gallop of an ambling 
horse, commonly called a canter. Said to be derived from the 
monks riding to Canterbury on easy ambling horses. 

Cantle. The hind part of the saddle. 

Capped Hock. A serious distention of the synovial 
cavities, or bursas, which are placed between the skin and the 
bone of the hock, to aid the gliding of the one over the other ; 
the sprain of the tendon on the point of the hock. Arising 
from either cause it is an unsoundness. 



• HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 47 

Car. The large increase in the business of campaigning 
during the past ten years, at once created a great demand for 
suitable cars in which to safely and comfortably transport val- 
uable horses long distances. This demand railroad companies 
were unable to meet, hence several private corporations began 
the building of special cars for campaigning purposes, the first 
of which were constructed about 1883. The business has so 
increased that there are now a number of companies building 
and ojDerating palace horse cars, independent of railroad com- 
panies, which are equipped for service in either freight or j)as- 
senger trains, and are handled by all railroad and express com- 
panies on mileage rates. These cars are, as a rule, forty-four 
feet long, not including the platforms. While they differ 
somewhat in interior arrangement, it may be said that they 
are fitted for twelve, sixteen or eighteen horses. In some 
there are four sections, of three stalls each ; in others four sec- 
tions, of four stalls each — the stalls extending lengthwise or 
crosswise of the car, or in a diagonal crosswise manner, accord- 
ing to the different pattern of car. In most cars the stall par- 
titions are adjustable, and can be changed to accommodate 
large or smaller horses — be made in narrow stalls (twenty-six 
inches wide), or a room, as desired. The cars are well lighted 
and thoroughly ventilated, the windows being fitted with out- 
side screens and inside shutters. They are provided with 
water tanks, mangers, provender and hay compartments, stor- 
age boxes for carrying dunnage of all kinds, apartments for 
attendants, and other conveniences. They are so thoroughly 
built, equipped wdth so many of the best appliances in car 
construction, and ride so easily, that they may be well called 
palace cars. Most companies rent these cars for a fixed rate 
per mile on runs of three hundred to two thousand miles, or 
lease them at a fixed rate per month for a shorter or longer 
time. 

Carpus. The so-called knee of the horse, corresponding 
to the wrist joint in man. Below the carpal and tarsal bones, 
(the knee and hock), the fore and hind limbs of the horse are 
almost an exact duplicate of each other. 

Carriagre. The general style, action and bearing of a 
horse when in motion ; as a horse of fine carriage ; he has a 
proud carriage ; an elegant way of going ; graceful movement. 

Carriage Bit-and-Bridoon. A double bit of varying 
degrees of power in itself. The degree of severity of the curb 
is regulated to suit the particular mouth, by buckling the reins 
to the upper or lower slot in the guards, as the need may be. 



48 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 



When the bridoon is used with this bit the check-rein is put on the 
bridooii. and thus tlie bit is relieved of contrary action. This bri- 
doon bit is used on the carriage horse witli a clieck-rein only, and 
is not used in any way in guiding the liorse; its chief use being to 
give tlie liorse a stylish carriage and handsome appearance.— Tlie 
Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Cart; Break-cart; Track-cart. A vehicle espe- 
cially adapted for educating the colt to the use of the shafts 
and a carriage. Its peculiar features are : Wide seat, rear 
foot-platform, shafts of extra length, (usually three feet longer 
than the shafts of the standard sulky), and heavier construc- 
tion — their weight being usually 160 pounds. They vary 
somewhat in design and make from different houses. A track 
cart is a combined speed and road cart, weighing generally 
about 85 pounds. 

Cartilag"e. A non-vascular animal tissue ; gristle. 
When these tissues become ossified, which indicates a conver- 
sion into a hardened structure of the cartilages naturally 
developed upon the rings of the coffinbone, it constitutes 
unsoundness. 

Catch. To catch a horse after a break ; to bring him to 

his gait. Almost every driver has a different way of bringing 

a horse to his trot after a break, according to the disposition of 

the horse and the way he has been trained ; but all agree that 

a dead pull on both reins will not do it. Almost invariably the 

horse will jump to his gait when a twist or sudden pull is made 

on one rein. Sometimes it is done with the off rein, sometimes 

with the near one. A particular word or sound should also be 

used when this pull is given the rein, that the horse may know 

what it means. 

Always try to teach a horse to catch on the inside rein, for if you are 
going round the turn in the lead and someone trailing, and he 
should break, obliging yovi to pull your horse on the outside rein, 
yotir opponent might slip tlirough between you and the fence and 
beat you the heat, where he would not be able to go round you and 
do it. Then too, if you are head-and-head with a man he might, 
when your horse l^rbke, crowd you in so close that you would be 
unable to pull him to the outside without running i)ito him, whereas, 
if he caught on the left rein you would have no trouble. — Life with 
the Trottiers, John Splan. 

Catch Driver. A driver put up at random, when from 
any cause, the judges take out a driver, and put another in his 
place. 

Catch Weig'hts is where the driver or rider is not 
obliged to weigh out or weigh in. Generally, in a race or heat 
at catch weights there is no distance except for foul driving. 

Cauterizing". The act of searing or burning some part 
of the horse's body by the application of the firing iron. See 
Firing Iron. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 49 



For injured tendons, soft liocks, ring-bones, side-bones, and ailments 
that strong blisters have failed to cure, cauterization should be 
promptly resorted to ; and for strain or injury to almost any part of 
the legs' below the elbow or stifle, firing should be done before a 
blister is applied.— The Horseman. 

Cavalry Bit. The regulation caralry bridle, as used in 
the United States army, has two bits, a curb, two reins, and one 
headstall. Col. Battersby, in his work on the Bridle Bits, says 
the bridoon, or watering bit, has no guards, and is used with 
the curb bit as an auxiliary when the horse is mounted, but is 
used alone in going out to water. The bridoon has rings and a 
single loop-joint between the bars, the same as the snaffle. It 
has four distinct uses : 1. That of a watering bit. 2. For 
easing the mouth from the curb bit. 3. For certain uses of 
weapons in action, especially the sword. 4. For leaping. 

Cavasson; Cavezon. A noseband of iron, w^ood, or 
leather. It may either have a separate headpiece, similar to 
the bridoon head of a double bridle, or have cheek-pieces which 
fasten on to the buckles to which the crown piece of the bridle 
is attached. It can be raised or lowered as required, and may 
be used with either snaffle or curb. A noseband or cavasson 
should not be attached to the headstall of a curb, as it might 
then interfere with the action of that bit. 

Caveat Emptor. A legal term much used in cases 
regarding the purchase, sale, and warranty of horses. It means : 
Let the purchaser beware. 

Cavort ; Curvet. To cavort about. Said of a nervous, 
restless horse that is given to prancing and cantering about, 
especially when he is being led. 

Cement. The external covering or tissue of the teeth. 
It is placed upon the enamel over the whole surface of the tooth, 
and fills more or less completely the cup of each. It is gener- 
ally thicker in the lower than in the upper teeth, and in very old 
mouths is often formed in excess, furnishing a new wearing sur- 
face to replace the teeth which have been destroyed by use ; 
hence it has great importance in determining the age of the 
horse. Its structure and composition is almost exactly that of 
ordinary bone. 

Center of Motion. The center of motion in the ante- 
rior extremity of the horse, is in the scapula or shoulder, which 
is as high a bony base as could be reached. 

While there is no bony connection between the anterior extremity of 
the horse and its Trunk, therefore no fixed point of resistance and 
reaction, as in the posterior extrenrities, the center of motion is 
attained equally well, and it is difficult to conceive how it could 
serve its different relations to the trunk any better. The scapula, 



50 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF, 



if not anatomically so, is mechanically a joint, and corresponds to 
the liip joint of tlie posterior extremity, the slioulder to tlie stifle 
and tlie elbow to tlie lioclc. In this view tliere is no reversal in tlie 
joints but, tlie same meclianical relation. The freedom of motion 
at its center in the limb is less than in the corresponding joint in the 
posterior extremil y, but there is all that is reqtiired ; it is placed con- 
siderably higher than in the latter, in order that more motion should 
not be required ; and the restriction at that point is compensated for 
by the superior flexibility of the lower joints. The total result is 
that the stride of one limb is just equal to that of the other. — The 
Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Cli. f. In a summary or list of entries indicating a 

chestnut filly. 

Clialleng'e. An invitation to a contest of speed. 

A challenge may be hedged aronnd with conditions, so that its non- 
acceptance is no acknowledgment of the superiority of the chal- 
lenger.— John H. Wallace. 

Champion. The first among all contestants ; holding 
the highest rank or record; that which is unexcelled or 
unbeaten. Applied to the greatest performers in the stallion, 
gelding, filly, and other classes of trotters and runners. See 
Stallions, Tkotting, and world's record under different time 
made, as Two-ten, 

Cliaiig-e a Horse. [Eq.] To change hands ; to turn or 
bear the horse's head from one hand to the other, from the left 
to the right, or from the right to the left. 

Cliang"e of Color. The disguising of a horse in any 
way, or painting him for the purpose of concealing his identity 
that he may represent another or different horse is a fraud 
subject to fine and expulsion by the racing and trotting rules. 
The laws of many States have also made it a misdemeanor, 
punishable by fine and imprisonment. See Law. 

Chang"e of Name. After starting in a public race the 
name of a horse cannot be changed without obtaining a record 
thereof from the secretary of the American Association, and 
paying a fee of ^50. For a violation of this rule a fine of $100 
may be imposed. If a horse has ever trotted in a public race, 
the last name under which it trotted shall be given with the 
new entry ; and if the name has been changed within one year, 
each former name must be given; and if any horse has ever 
trotted a public race without a name, such fact must be stated 
when the entry is made, that the animal may be fully identified. 

Channels. The small, shoal grooves made in the surface 
of a track by a dressing harrow or float. 

Chant a Horse. To advertise a horse by qualities 
which on examination or trial are found wanting. 

Charlier Shoe ; Charlier Tip. An extremely narrow 
and very light steel quarter shoe or tip, invented by M. Charlier, 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 51 

an eminent veterinary surgeon of Paris, France. In preparing 
the foot for the shoe and sole, frog and bars are left absolutely 
untouched, and a groove is cut, or counter-sunk into the wall, 
not high enough to reach above the sole level, and less than the 
thickness of the wall in depth. Into this narrow groove the 
shoe or tip is sunk and nailed by from four to six conical- 
headed nails, the heads of which are counter-sunk in the shoe. 
By this system of shoeing the frog, bars, and a portion of the 
sole come to the ground the same as if the foot were unshod, 
and all participate in weight-bearing. 

Cliarmed Circle. The 2:30 class of trotters. To obtain 
this record is said to get "within the charmed circle." 

Chaser. [Eng.] A steeple-chase runner. He must be a 
thoroughbred ; sound in wind and limb ; of a generous, gamy 
disposition ; well schooled, and well trained. He should possess 
good sloping shoulders ; not overloaded, but with plenty of 
liberty when he moves. A horse with bad shoulders may be 
able to gallop up hill, but he cannot gallop down hill if defec- 
tive in this resj)ect. His propelling power behind must be 
great. He must have a powerful back and loins, with strong 
quarters ; muscular, sound thighs, plenty of length from the 
hip to the hock ; good ribs ; deep through the heart, compact, 
and not too long in the back. 

Check-rein; Bearing-rein. A short rein fastened 
from the bit of a headstall or bridle to the saddle of the har- 
ness to keep the horse's head in a particular line. 

Very few horses require to be checked, alike.— Horse Portraiture, Joseph 
Cairn Simpson. 

Probably, if tliose who have to do with the harnessing of horses were 
better acquainted witli the admirable meclianical apparatus for 
holding up the iiead in a natural and unstrained position, they 
would think it less necessary to supplement the cervical ligament 
by an external contrivance for effecting the same object; which, 
however, not being elastic, never allows the head, even momenta- 
rily, to be altered in position; which is generally fixed so tiglitly 
as to interfere greatly with the natural graceful curve of the neck, 
one of tlie horse's chief beauties ; and which, being attached at one 
end through the lender corners of the mouth, must, if short enough 
to effect the object for which it is used, be a continual source of 
pain or irritation to the animal. — The Horse, William Henry 
Flower, C. B. 

Cheekpieces. Those parts of the bridle which connect 
the crownpiece with the bit. 

Chest. The cavity which occupies nearly the third part 
of the trunk, in which the lungs and heart of the horse are 
situated. It is divided from the abdomen by the diaphragm. 

Chestnuts; Castors; Kerhs. Horny growths above 
and on the inside of the knees in the front legs, and on the 
level of the hock in the hind legs. M. Chauveau says they are 



52 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

composed of a mass of epithelial cells arranged in tubes like 
the horn of the hoof. Dr. George Fleming says : " In fine bred 
horses this horny production is much less developed than in 
the coarser breeds, and is always smaller in the hind legs." 
Dr. W. H. Flower regards them of the nature of epidermal 
glands. Some other authors make the distinction that these 
growths are chestnuts on the fore legs and kerbs on the hind 
legs, the latter being always smaller than the former. In 
grooming the outside flakes are habitually pulled of£ either with 
the comb or by hand. 

Chin-gTOOve. The smooth and rounded under part of the 
lower jaw, in which the curb chain should lie naturally, without 
pinching, when the rein is held lightly. The headstall should, 
in all cases, be of just sufficient length to allow the bit to lie 
exactly opposite the chin-groove. 

Chinked in the Chine, A term used to describe what 
is called a " broken backed " horse. It is legal unsoundness. 

Chromos. Pool tickets. 

Chronograph. A split-second watch ; a timer for track 
use in catching the time made by a horse in a heat or race ; an 
instrument for measuring or recording the exact instant in 
which an event takes place. Applied to various kinds of 
watches so contrived that when a button is pressed the second 
hand stops, or one of the two second hands stops, or the second 
hand leaves a dot of ink upon the dial. 

Chute. A straight, or nearly straight, extension of the 
home stretch of a running course ; the track beyond the finish. 

Cinch. [Local: Western United States.] A saddle 
girth made of leather, canvas, or woven horsehair. The ends 
of this tough cordage terminate in long, narrow strips of leather, 
called in Spanish, latigos — thongs — which connect the cinches 
with the saddle, and are run through an iron ring and then tied 
by a series of complicated turns and knots. 

Cipher ; [O]. In Chester's Trotting and Pacing Record, 
and in the summary of a race, a sign that the horse whose 
name it follows made a dead heat; as, for example, (3.0), sig- 
nifies third heat dead. 

Circuit. A tour; a journey from place to place for the 
purpose of attending race meetings. A union of two or more 
associations for the purpose of holding race or trotting meetings 
at different places and on different dates. 

Circumduct. To move a limb around an imaginary 
axis in such manner that it describes a conical figure ; the 
motion given to the fore foot and leg of a horse that paddles. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 53 

Class. The ranking together; a determination of the 
particular purse in which a horse may be entered, according to 
the record he has made ; in racing, class is determined by the 
ability of the horse to go fast for a distance and carry weight. 
In some States the definition of class has been established 
by legislative enactment, as in Ohio, where the law says: 
" Class is determined by the public performance of a horse in 
any former contest or trial of speed, as proved by the printed 
rules of any society or association under which the proposed 
contest is advertised to be conducted." Other States have laws 
exactly similar to this. See La"\v. 

Classic Races. A term applied by universal consent 
throughout the turf world, to the five great races of the Eng- 
lish turf, viz.: The Derby, founded in 1780; the Oaks, origi- 
nated in 1779, for fillys only; the St. Leger, founded in 1776, 
in compliment to Lieut.-Gen. Anthony St. Leger of Park Hill, 
England; the One Thousand, and the Two Thousand Guineas, 
established in 1809. 

Clay. One of the great American trotting families, 
founded by Andrew Jackson, 4, by Young Bashaw, a Barb, 
imported from Tripoli, in 1820 ; dam unknown. He was foaled 
at Salem, IST. Y., in 1827, and died at Knightstown, Penn., in 
1843. Among his most noted sons as trotting sires, were 
Henry Clay, 8, foaled in 1837 ; dam Lady Surrey, a pacing 
mare of unknown pedigree; and Long Island Black Hawk, a 
trotter and sire of high quality. After passing through many 
hands, Henry Clay went blind, and died in April, 1876. From 
him comes the line of sires known for a number of generations 
by the name of Cassius M. Clay. The Patchen branch of the 
Clays originated with George M. Patchen, 30, by C. M. Clay, 
dam by a son of imported Trustee. Other founders of cele- 
brated branches of the Clays are American Clay, 34 ; Harry 
Clay, 45, and The Moor, 870. 

Cleft of the Frog. The division in the middle line 
of the frog of the foot. In healthy feet it consists of only a 
single depression. 

Clerk of the Course. The person who acts as Secre- 
tary to the board of judges during a race. 

Clerk of the Scales. [Eng.] The weigher at a race. 

Clicking; Forging; Over-reaching. The act of 
striking the toes of the hind foot or shoe, against the heel of 
the corresponding fore foot or shoe, when the horse is in 
motion. It is due to the imperfect conformation of the horse, 
or to improper dressing of the feet, and cannot be classed as a 
vice or an unsoundness. 



54 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Clip. A speedy gait; a spurt of speed for a short dis- 
tance; as a 2:35 clip. 

Clip. A projecting flange or claw on the upper edge or 
surface of a horseshoe which partially embraces the wall of the 
hoof, for its protection, and to assist in keeping the shoe in 
place. 

Clip. A metal clasp or confining piece used to connect 
the parts of a carriage-gear, or to hold the hook of a whippletree. 

Clipping-; Clippers; Clipping-shears. The removal 
of the coat or hairy covering of a horse ; clipping machines ; 
shears for clipping horses. It is said that the practice of clip- 
ping horses was introduced into England in 1825 by the army 
officers who became acquainted with the art during the Penin- 
sular war. In a most interesting work, published anonymously 
in London in 1831, it is said: "In regard to the newly discov- 
ered or invented practice of clipping and its supposed improve- 
ments * * * such deviations from nature rarely do any 
good." In former times clipping was done by ordinary hand 
shears, and two or three days was required to clip a horse. 
The new serrated clipping shears of the Newmarket, Brown, 
and Clark patterns, were invented in 1875, and began to be 
generally used in 1877. These clippers, or serrated knives or 
shears, consist of a plate upon which are highly tempered ser- 
rated teeth or fingers ; to the flat surface of which is attached a 
duplicate movable plate having correspondingly fragile, comb- 
like teeth, this movable half being operated or moved by the 
hand, forming the upper arm of the shears, the stationary 
plate resting upon the skin of the horse while they are in use. 
These shears are now operated by hand, electric, and other 
motors — by hand, being understood as meaning crank and 
wheel power. The attachment of power to the shears is made 
by means of a series of small cogs and eccentric joints connected 
with a chain which plays through a rubber tube of indefinite 
length, running over pulleys, and attached to the movable arm 
or knife-plate of the shears, which are easily guided by the 
operator, who clasps only the arm of the under or immovable 
plate. By means of these power shears a horse can be clipped 
in two and a half hours. 

The horse's coatshoiild never be clipped until it is properly set. This is 
known by the appearance of long hairs known as "cat hairs." 
Wlien they show these the coat may fairly be assumed to be ready 
for clipping; and if carefully done, and great care is exercised, the 
horse kept in a warm stable, etc., it is regarded as humane. — 
Through the Stable and Saddle Room, Arthur T. Fisher. 

When you take a horse up out of his Avinter quarters, he will naturally 
have an excessive coat of hair, his flesh will be soft, and with very 
moderate exercise he will sweat more or less. If the weather is 
cold it is impossible to rub him dry, and he may sweat off the flesh 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 55 



a good deal faster than you may want him to. Under those condi- 
tions I invariably clip a horse, and tlie result has always been per- 
fectly satisfactory to me.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Will clipping liave a permanent effect upon the horse's coat, making ib 
come out earlier, or heavier, or coarser, the next autumn? Skilled 
opinions differ on this point, but, as a general principle, the cutting 
of hair certainly tends to affect its future growth. Still, clipping the 
coat once a year, probably has only a sliglit effe'it— at least, until it 
has been repeated for some years.— Road, Track, and Stable, H. C. 
Merwin. 

Anotlier reason which grooms advance for clipping is, that the horse 
moves ntuch more freely after than before the operation, because it 
is relieved of the weight of superfluous hair. Mayhew, with all 1 lie 
caution of a man of science, does not actually deny that such an 
effect may be produced by clipping, but he very emphatically says 
that he never saw it.— Horse and Man. Rev. J. G. Wood. 

Close on Him. When a driver or rider who has been 
trailing or following the running for half the distance, begins 
to approacli, or comes up even with a contending horse in a 
heat or race, he is said to " close on him." Thus Mr. Splan, in 
describing one of his races with Rarus against Great Eastern, 
says : "As we rounded into the stretch Rarus began to close 
on him, and had got to his saddle skirts at the distance stand." 

Clotliing'. Garments ; covering ; furnishings for the care 
of a horse. Horse clothing embraces : Sweat, cooling, stable 
and street blankets; hoods; working and walking suits, and 
waterproof covers — the materials being w^oolen, cotton-flannel 
and linen. A suit embraces the following pieces, viz : One 
kersey stable blanket ; one sheet, (for summer) ; one cooler, (a 
light, square woolen blanket) ; one heavy square blanket, 
woolen ; one light woolen hood for cooling out ; one fancy suit 
for exhibition purposes, consisting of a nice blanket and hood 
to match, finely made and lettered with the name of the horse 
to which it belongs. In general there should be three suits for 
each horse — one of heavy, one of medium and one of light 
weight. Summer clothing should be of the same shape as 
winter clothing, but larger and wider on the quarter piece to 
give more protection from flies. The body cloth should come 
well over the withers, buckling in front of the chest, and 
extending back to the root of the tail or beyond. When a 
horse needs to be sweat out, use a heavy neck piece, crest or 
jowl hood, or a small blanket may be wrapped arottnd the 
neck in its place. The uses of clothing are to keep the horse 
warm, to protect him from flies in hot weather, and against 
injury, and to reduce fat — especially on those horses where 
otherwise it could not be got rid of without so much work as 
would be injurious to their limbs. 

Coarseness. An evidence of underbreeding with 
strength but without any redeeming features on the side 
of refinement. The characteristics are: Carty bone; soft 



66 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

muscles ; want of symmetry and commanding presence ; an 
unintelligent head ; low and coarse withers ; bull neck ; a 
short top to the hind quarters coupled with droop, not to be 
compared to gentle obliquity which gives the muscular area 
and power in trotting and racing. 

Coat. The external natural covering of hair upon the 
horse. The word especially refers to the color. To the 
investigation of this subject, Goubaux and Barrier of Paris, in 
their great work on the Exterior of the Horse, have given 
very minute studies, as a result of which they formulated a 
classification which has mainly been adopted, although in a 
modified form, in the presentation here given. A scientific 
description of the coats groups them in three classes, viz: 1, 
Primitive, or those already formed soon after the colt is foaled ; 
2, Derived, or those which appear some time after birth, and 
are due to the introduction of white into a primitive coat ; 3, 
Conjugate, or those characterized by the presence upon the 
same animal of two primitive and two derived coats. I. In 
the first class there are three divisions: 1, simple coats as 
black, sorrel; 2, composite, as those formed of hairs of two 
colors — one black for mane, tail and extremities ; others — 
yellow, red or gray for body, as Isabella, bay, mouse cf>lor; 3, 
mixed, formed by dark hairs upon each of which are found 
two different colors, the yellow more or less light at the base, 
the black at the summit. Of the blacks there is the true or 
ordinary black, and rusty black. The former is dark, uniform 
without any reflection ; the rusty is dull, reddish in the sun, 
washed, hard to distinguish from brown. Sorrel or chestnut, 
which consists of golden, fawn, and reddish-brown hairs, (by 
some it is called coffee and milk color), fawn-sorrel; washed 
sorrel; cherry sorrel, (reddish tint); chestnut-sorrel; maroon- 
sorrel; burnt sorrel, or color of roasted coffee; Isabella, bay 
and mouse color. The Isabella has a coat of two distinct 
colors, on the body yellow or yellowish, on the extremities — 
from the knee and hock down — mane and tail, black. This 
color is also called dun. Bay differs from Isabella because the 
yellow hairs are replaced by red ones. The varieties are light 
bay ; ordinary bay, (of a distinctly red color) ; cherry, blood 
and mahogany bay, darker than ordinary bay, and all essen- 
tially alike ; chestnut bay, (the color of a ripened chestnut) ; 
maroon bay, deeper and fresher upon the upper parts of the 
body ; dark bay, bordering upon brown ; brown bay, almost 
black. Mouse color is formed by two colors, the body ashy 
gray, similar to the colors of a mouse, legs from the knee and 
hock down, black, as in the bay. II. Derived coats. These 



HANDBOOK OF IHE TURF. 57 

are four : Gray, white, flea-bitten, roan. Gray is composed 
of mixed hairs of white and those of a darker color, varying 
from the black to the brown. Yery light gray resembles white, 
and shows but very few black or dark hairs. Light gray, with 
more dark in very light. Ordinary gray, almost equally com- 
posed of white and black hairs. Dark gray, with a prepon- 
derance of dark or black hairs. Iron gray, which has a bluish 
shade. Slate gray — a shade darker than iron gray. Clayey 
gray, which has a very light yellowish tint. Isabella gray, a 
mixture of white, yellow and dark hairs. Roan gray, a mix- 
ture of white, dark, red or reddish hairs, the latter less 
abundant than the former. AMiite is a color easily recognized. 
It is a dull milk or pigeon white color, opaque, with no reflec- 
tion. Porcelain white, has a tint of porcelain china. Dirty 
white, of a slightly yellowish tint. Eosy white, a color due to 
the absence of the cutaneous pigment and to the thinness of 
the hairs, leaving the discolored parts of the skin visible. 
Roan is composed of three kinds of hairs — ^red, white and 
black, or a bay modified by the admixture, more or less distinct, 
of white. The red is light, ordinary wine red, or strawberry, 
and the dark appears according to the predominance of the 
different colors. III. In the third class there are found two 
types: First, the Piebald or pied; second, conjugate gray and 
Isabella. The former is a union rather than an inter-mixture 
of the white coat wdth one or another of the above described 
derived coats. The animal presents a singular appearance, 
covered with large, irregular white patches, variously situated 
upon the body, but the colors do not blend. There are various 
examples of this singular combination, as, technically, rusty 
black pied ; dark fox-color pied ; flea-bitten rosy pied ; burnt 
sorrel porcelain pied. The conjugate gray or Isabella is an 
extremely rare coat, which is termed spotted or marbled. 

Cock Horse. A horse kept in the betting quotations 
to deceive public backers, though known to the private layers 
against him that he has no chance of winning. 

Coffin-bone. The bone forming the end of the foot, 
and shaped like the hoof or horny box in which it is enclosed, 
and which it supports. 

Coffin- joint. The joint at the upper part of the coffin- 
bone, made by the union of the small pastern, eoffin and smaU 
sesamoid bone, or navicular bones, the latter being set behind 
and beneath the joint surface of the coffin-bone, in such a way 
as to largely receive the weight of the small pastern. The 
focus of weight in the foot is at this joint. 



58 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Collared. When a rider sees that he is beaten in a race, 
he is said to be " collared." 

Cold. A cold, if neglected until it degenerates into some 
seated form, as for instance, nasal catarrh, is a cause of 
unsoundness. 

Cold-blooded. Not thoroughbred ; of common or mon- 
grel stock ; an animal showing only ill breeding. 

Collect. To gather quickly in taking a fence, hurdle, 
wall or other obstacle. 

The animal that is destined for chasing must learn to collect himself 
with the sliglitest possible diminution of speed, to fly liis fences, to 
get away from them on the othei- side without a pause, and to do 
all this with tlie least effort.— The Badminton Library: Steeple- 
chasing, Arthur Coventry and Alfred E. T. Watson. 

To make a liorse jump "big," pull him together, and make him bring 
his hind quarters under him by the pressTire of the legs and touch 
of the whip.— Riding, M. Horace Hayes, M. R. C. V. S. 

Collected. [Eq.] A horse is said to be collected w^hen 
his head is in a perpendicular position, yields readily to the bit 
and has no disposition to go out of hand. His hind feet will 
be well in front of a perpendicular line dropped from the 
points of the buttocks, his fore feet will be brought back more 
than usual, and he will stand more or less over on them. His 
head and neck will be raised, and he will be looking to the 
front with ears pricked forward, ready for a move in what- 
ever direction the rider wishes. 

Color of tlie Coat. The old proverb that "no good 
horse is of a bad color," is manifestly untrue. Comparatively 
few horses of a bad color have ever been successful on the turf, 
and there is no doubt that those few would have been better 
animals had their color been good. It is said that records 
were kept of the colors of winners in the Phoenix stakes, Lex- 
ington, Ky., inaugurated in 1831, and that in fifty-four races, 
horses of a bay color won twenty-six times ; chestnuts, fifteen ; 
brown, two ; black one. Statistics have also been published on 
this point from results of the English races. It is said that in 
about one hundred years of history of the Derby, Oaks, St. 
Leger and Doncaster races, in 3576 starters in 293 stakes the 
results were: Bays, 1826 starters, 159 winners, ratio of win- 
ners 11 1-2; chestnuts, 807 starters, 71 winners, ratio of win- 
ners; 11 1-3; browns, 699 starters, 54 winners, ratio of win- 
ners, 13 ; grays and roans, 127 starters, 6 winners, ratio of 
winners, 21 ; blacks, 109 starters, 2 winners, ratio of winners, 
64 1-2 ; duns, 2 starters, one winner, ratio of winners, 1-2. 
The most objectionable colors are those which are weak and 
w^ashy of their kind, and where the extremities are lighter than 
the rest of their body. Thus a very light bay or chestnut is 



HAN-DBOOK OF THE TURF, 59 

liable to be of weak constitution, deficient in stamina, and 
when to this is added "mealy" legs, or legs lighter than the 
rest of the coat, and a lighter colored mane and tail, the weak- 
ness is intensified. Black legs are preferable in a bay, and 
w^ith these the feet are generally more sound, and the horn is 
more enduring. White legs and feet are objectionable, but not 
so much so as mealy ones. Dark chestnut, bay, and gray are 
preferable to light shades of these colors. Black and roan are 
not so common. Bays, chestnuts and browns practically 
monopolize the turf, and the darker and more solid the colors 
are, the better are the animals. The bay is the best, most 
fashionable and highest priced color for a horse, because it is 
that which indicates the best breeding. 

Colors. The custom of owners selecting their colors and 
publishing them, originated at Newmarket in 1762, the 
jockeys having before that worn colors but not as a proprietary 
distinction. In this country, the New York Jockey Club in 
1842, required that riders should be dressed in Jockey style, 
viz : Jockey cap, colored jacket, pantaloons and boots ; but 
colors as an owners' distinction are said to have been first 
adopted at Fleetwood Park, N. Y. Colors are a source of 
great individual pride on the turf in England and this country, 
and are a source of enjoyment in the race on the part of the 
public. The American rules require that colors selected by 
owners must be recorded by the secretary of the Congress, and 
shall not be used by others except in case of death or after five 
years' withdrawal from the turf. A list of all colors is obliged 
to be posted in the office of the clerk of the course. 

Colt. A word specifically applied to a male foal. 

Combination Horse. A term applied to the American 

saddler, or gaited horse. 

Tlie breeders of saddle liorses have succeeded in producing a genuine 
combination horse— one which will go all the five recognized gaits 
under tlie saddle, using the rack, running walk and canter to the 
delight of the rider and the satisfaction of the horse, and will, 
when put in harness, forget for the time being, that tliey ever 
racked a rod, and will go a square, pure trot. — The Breeders' 
Gazette. 

Combination Sale. A public sale, or sale by auction, 
in which several breeders, or owners, unite or combine a cer- 
tain number of animals of their own, in order to make the 
sale more attractive, and to realize better prices at a less cost 
for commissions. The first American combination sale was 
held at New York in 1877, but they are now very common. 

Coming". Said of a colt in training when he begins to un- 
derstand his work and show speed. " He is a comer," or " he is 
coming," means that the animal is fast developing as a trotter. 



60 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Complaint. A charge made by one rider or driver 
against another for foul driving, or other misconduct during a 
heat. Such complaint must be made at the termination of 
the heat, and before the driver dismounts or leaves his sulky. 
By the racing rules, such complaint must be made to the 
judges either before or immediately after the jockeys in the 
race have passed the scales. For frivolous complaints owners, 
trainers or jockeys may, at the discretion of the judges, be 
fined or suspended. 

Conditions. [Eng.] The conditions of the Grand Na- 
tional Hunt races are : Riders must not ride for more than 
one hundred yards at any one time on any road or lane ; riders 
not passing the post within fifteen minutes of the winner to 
pay double entry ; any rider examining the course before start- 
ing will be disqualified. By the American racing rules, the 
express conditions of a race always supersede the general rules, 
where they conflict. 

Conditional Entries. A private understanding made 

between the owner of a horse and a society or association when 

the horse is nominated ; an entry made outside the rules. The 

rules of both the National and American Associations attach 

severe fines to any member receiving conditional entries. 

The great injustice of tlie conditional entry is that it practically abol- 
ishes tlie closing date for entries for one man, wliile it leaves it 
open for tlie otlier.— Spirit of the Times. 

Conditioning. The fitting of the horse, in every part 
of his body, for his best performance upon the turf. It re- 
quires long, studious exercise, feeding and training, and a 
complete understanding of the disposition and peculiarities of 
the horse, that he may respond quickly to the wishes of his 
trainer, driver or rider. When a horse is in blooming condi- 
tion he is fresh and healthy in appearance, clean and unloaded 
in his muscular system, bright in the eye, glossy in the coat, 
clean on the legs, and animated in expression. His muscles 
will feel hard and springy to the touch, and swell out, espe- 
cially in the hind quarters, where they should seem divided 
and distinct from each other. The crest should be firm, and 
closely attached to the neck. When the hand is drawn along 
the ribs the skin should wrinkle up and appear loose and 
detached. In walking, his feet should strike the ground with 
a positive step, and his neck, held high, should rise and faU.. 
springily. The horse, in the best condition, has an inquisitive 
look, notices everything with pricked ears, and has a noble 
expression indicative of confidence and self purpose. 

Cone. That part of the hub of a pneumatic sulky wheel 
which holds the ball bearings in place in the casing, or piece 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 61 

into which the bearings are set — which piece is fitted tightly 
into the ends of the hub. One of these cones is called the 
stationary cone, and the other the movable cone, the latter 
being used in adjusting the tension of the bearings, by means 
of a spanner wrench. 

Conformation. External points ; the particular tex- 
ture or structure of outward form, and the arrangement and 
relation of the parts which compose it ; general structure. 

Congress. The sessions of the American and oS^'ational 
Trotting Associations are held biennially, and are called a 
congress. At each officers are elected, the rules and laws 
revised, and other business pertaining to the good of the asso- 
ciations transacted. See American Turf Congress. 

Consolation Race. A consolation match, or race, is a 
contest which can be entered only by those who have failed to 
win in the previous, or regular purses, or contests offered by a 
track or member, which have taken place within a given time. 

Contending- Horses. In any heat of a race it will 
very soon appear that several of the starters are dropping to 
the rear, and that the heat lies between two or three horses 
that are quite evenly matched. Such horses are called the 
contending horses, because the battle of the heat is narrowed 
down to them. 

Contraction of the Hoof. A shrinkage of the tissues 
of the foot, by which the lateral diameter of the heels, in par- 
ticular, is diminished. It affects the fore feet chiefly. It is 
of less moment if affecting the hind feet, because the hind 
foot first strikes the ground with the toe, and less expansion 
of the heels is necessary than in the fore feet when the weight 
is first received on the heels. Where produced by inflamma- 
tion, accompanied by disease of the foot, or any change in its 
normal condition, though not producing lameness at the time 
of the sale of a horse, it is an unsoundness if lameness after- 
wards follows. 

Converted Pacer. Many natural pacers have been so 
trained as to leave their natural gait and acquire the trotting 
gait. Such are termed converted pacers. The methods used 
to accomplish this are as varied as are the dispositions of the 
horses. Weighting in different ways, the use of the cross- 
strap, the placing of rails on the ground at such intervals as 
will compel the horse to put his feet down in the diagonal 
order, and many others. Charles Marvin, in telling how he 
trained Smuggler — Training the Trotting Horse — says : " I 
would start him up slowly, and rather suddenly throw him off 



62 HANDBOOK OP THE TUER 

to one side at a pretty sharp angle, compelling him to change 
his gait, and the new gait, (trot), he would keep for a few steps. 
As soon as he came back to the pace I would swing him off 
sideways again. Of course this was virtually driving around 
in a small circle until he began to go a considerable distance 
trotting. At each time he would remain at the trot a little 
longer, and one day struck a trot and kept it up for a quarter 
of a mile." 

Cooling"-out ; Cooling Off. The walking exercise, 
light blanketing and personal care given to a horse after one 
heat, in order to fit him for the following heat. 

Cooling'-out Ground. The enclosed area between the 
stables and track, where horses are led to halter for cooling- 
out between heats. 

Coper. [Eng.] A broker in old horses ; a dishonest 
horse dealer ; a horse sharp. 

Corded-up. A condition of the muscles of the back 
and loins very liable to follow a severe heat, in which they 
become distended, knotted, or partially paralyzed, requiring 
very careful attention and the application of hot lotions to 
bring them to their normal condition. 

Corker. A rush ; a hard heat ; a fast brush ; a heat 
that has required hard work to win ; as " four corking heats ; " 
"two corking miles." 

Corner Teetli. The outermost of the front teeth, or 
incisors ; those next to the tusks. 

Coronet. The comparatively soft, but sharply defined 
line, or band, which runs round the foot, highest in front and 
becoming lower behind, immediately above the hoof, and 
which secretes the horn by which the wall of the hoof is 
formed. The coronet, or coronary bone, is the short, cube- 
shaped bone, between the coflBn bone and the small cannon 
bone. 

Corns proceed from an injury to the living horn of the 
foot, more commonly in the inner heel, and found, above all, 
in flat feet with low, weak heels. From the fact that they 
can seldom be cured they render a horse unsound. 

Cough. However simple and however recent in origin a 
cough may be, while it lasts the horse is unsound. 

Counting- The Horseshoes. A custom founded upon 
the fact that Walter Le Brun, a London farrier, was granted 
a plot of land in the Strand, London, as early as 1235, upon 
which to set up a forge. For this privilege he was to render to 



HAN'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 63 

the exchequer, each year, six horseshoes with the sixty-two 

nails belonging to them. This custom has continued ever since 

and from it originates the "counting of the horseshoes and 

hobnails " on swearing in the London sheriffs at the Court of 

Exchequer of the present day. 

Coupling'. That part of the sacrum where it joins the 

lumber vertebra ; the point where the top of the ribs unite with 

the vertebral column. 

While Flying Eaton had a strong, broad loin and excellent conpling, 
there was a graceful, downward curvature of the spine in front of 
the coupling which ga^^e him in some degree the appearance of 
being slightTy sway-backed.— S. W. Parlin. 

Courag'e. That instinct or inbred quality of physical 

power which asserts itself in endurance and staying effort ; the 

best evidence that a horse x^ossesses high breeding and splendid 

ancestry. 

"Well-bred horses, properly broken, are more courageous than coarsely 
bred ones. — The Book of the Horse, S. Sidney. 

Course. A track ; the distance or direction laid out for 
a race course. 

Courser. A racer or swift running horse. Hugh the 
Great of France, in the year 930, presented to Athelstan, one 
of the Anglo-Saxon kings of England, whose sister, Edelswitha, 
he had married, several running horses, the equos cursores of the 
chronicler. Coursers are also mentioned among the horses of 
Henry VIII. of England, in 1509 ; and Anthony Fitzherbert, 
who wrote the earliest English work on agriculture, 1534, 
speaks of the corser as a horse dealer. 

Crack. Great ; famous. A crack jockey, a crack driver 
— persons great in their respective lines. 

Cracked ; Crocked. To become tired ; to give up ; 

to quit. 

In the stretch I called on Manzanita, and after trotting head-and-head 
for nearly a furloug with Belle Hamlin the latter cracked, and 
Manzanita won in 2 :16i. — Training the Trotting Horse, Charles 
Marvin. 

Cracked Heels. Fleshy heels, the inflammation of 
which is due to a fungus, or grease ; scratches, canker, or foot- 
mange. It is an unsoundness. 

Cracker- j ack. A horse with a very low record ; a f a^ 
horse ; a record-breaker. 

Creep. When the pneumatic tire of a bicycle sulky 
wheel becomes loose from the felloe, it is said to " creep." 

Crest. The upper part of the neck extending from the 
withers to the ears. 

Cribbing ; Crib-biting, is associated with the serious 



64 HANDBOOK OP THE TUKF. 

vice of wind-sucking, which generally leads to tympany, im- 
paired digestion, and rapid loss of condition. It is believed that 
in the early stages it can be cured and the horse rendered sound ; 
but if neglected leads to serious results and becomes a vice, and 
in its more advanced stages the health and condition of the 
horse are affected, the digestive organs become impaired, and 
the horse is unsound because less valuable and less liable to 
perform his ordinary work. Hanover, in his Law of Horses, 
says : "As indications of approaching disease it would be diffi- 
cult to say cribbing was not an unsoundness. A crib-biter will 
not retain his condition or be fit for constant work." In Massa- 
chusetts Reports, 8, Gray, [1861], 430, Washburn vs. Cuddihy, 
<' Judge Briggs refused to rule as matter of law, that cribbing 
was not unsoundness in a horse." 

Crop. [Eng.] A short handled, stout hunting whip, 
having a hook at one end. It is generally held in the right 
hand about six inches from the loop, wdth the hook downwards, 
the lash coiled up and held in the same hand. This, of course, 
is when the crop is not in use. 

Cropping". The barbarous practice of cropping or paring 
and clipping the ears of a horse, which was thought to be the 
proper thing for fashion, largely practiced in England about 
1790-1800. 

Cross. If a horse, in attempting to pass another on the 
homestretch, should at any time cross or swerve so as to impede 
the progress of a horse behind him, he becomes disqualified 
from winning that heat. This rule applies to the running and 
trotting turf, equally. 

Cross-bar. A fore bar attached across the thills of a 
sulky or carriage, to which the whipple-tree is fastened. A 
splinter-bar. 

Cross-country Riding. [Eng.] Steeple-chasing or 
hunting ; riding across fields, over fences, brooks, ditches and 
hedges. The opposite from road riding. 

Cross-strap. A hopple, or hobble. A leather and 
elastic attachment placed upon the legs of horses to assist in 
changing or converting the gait, or to prevent a horse from 
pacing. Attached to the horse for this purpose it must be 
crossed, or attached from left fore foot to right hind foot ; and 
from right fore foot to left hind foot, or ankle. 

Croup. That portion of the upper part of the body of 
the horse which is situated between the loins in front and the 
tail behind ; the rump. 

Crupper. That part of the harness extending from the 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 65 

back strap to the end, a loop in the end of which receives and 
holds the horse's tail. 

Cup. A vessel of precious metal, like silver or gold ; or 
an elaborately wrought piece of plate offered as .a prize to be 
contended for in a race. 

Cup-races. Races in which horses start for a cup rather 
than for a purse or stake ; a term applied to match races. 

Cuppy. A cuppy track is a soft, sandy track, the surface 
of which is said to cup when the horse's foot leaves an impres- 
sion upon it in the form of a small hollow, as though a cupful 
of earth had been removed ; this condition being caused by the 
contact of the horse's shoe in going over it at high speed. A 
track that is cuppy is always a slow track. 

Curb. A chain or strap attached to the upper ends of 
the branches of the bit of a bridle, and passing under the 
horse's lower jaw; used chiefly in controlling a spirited or 
vicious horse. The curb rein is attached to the lower end of 
the fauces of the bit, and when it is pulled the curb is pressed 
forward against the horse's jaw in such a manner as to compel 
obedience. The proper length for the curb is about one-fourth 
more than the width of the mouth ; and it should be outside of 
the bridoon bit, for if placed inside of it the constant pressure of 
the bit on the curb would chafe and injure the under jawbone. 

Curb. A swelling in the median line of the hind limb 
just backwards of the back part of the hock, where in the nor- 
mal state there should be a straight line, extending from the 
upper end of the point of the hock down to the fetlock. At 
first it is soft and doughy, later hard and resistant. Due gen- 
erally to a sprain of the tendon which plays over the front of 
the hock, though in some cases the ligament beneath the tendon 
is injured. If large enough to be distinctly seen, or if it has 
been disfigured by treatment or otherwise, it is a blemish ; but 
while forming, if the horse is lame, he is indisputably unsound. 
Curb-bit. A form of bit for the bridle which by the 
exertion of slight effort can be made to produce great pressure 
on the horse's mouth. 

It is impossible to ride well on any horse nnless tlie curb-bit is prop- 
erly made and properly adjusted. — The Saddle Horse. 

Curb-cliain. The curb-chain is made flat so that when 
twisted into shape it lies almost as smooth as a band of leather 
against the chin. It is attached by spring-hooks to the eyes of 
the upper ends of the levers of the bit. 

Curby Hocks. A curby hock is one which is slightly 
bulged out behind. In some horses they are congenital and 
5 



66 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

cannot be regarded as a disease or an unsoundness, but rather 
as a distortion or blemish. 

Cushion. A soft finish to a track; the surface to the 
depth of from one-half to three-fourths of an inch being made 
very light and soft by a fine finishing harrow, but yet so yield- 
ing as to be elastic. 

The crreat point in track building is to pret a perfect cushion — one that 
issmooi.h, springy, and clean, wliere there is a certain amount of 
yiel<iing when the foot strikes. — Training tlie Trotting Horse, 
Charles Marvin. 

Cut. To reduce ; to take from. A term used by experts 
in judging a horse at exhibitions by means of a score card 
system, or scale of points. The work is generally done very 
rapidly by an expert judge, only the defects in the animal being 
marked, which are reduced or " cut," from the total number 
of points included in perfection, and deducted therefrom ; thus 
showing the total number of points scaled by the animal in a 
possible 100. 

Cutting", the result of faulty structure, is not an unsound- 
ness, because the law cannot regard a horse as unsound merely 
from badness of conformation. 

Cut Loose. A horse is said to cut loose when he jumps 
to an unprecedented rate of speed; to go uncontrolled an4 
almost beyond all limit. 

When they gave the Avord Edwin was going true as an arrow, and as he 
turned into tlie back stretch, he cut loose at a rate of speed lliat 
looked to me as though he was not only going to beat Rarus' time, 
but Icnock the watches out of their cases as well. — Lite with the 
Trotters, John Splau, 



Daisy-cutter. A horse that does not lift his feet much 

off the ground when trotting or galloping ; a low, swift going 

horse. 

The trot is the true pace for a hackney; and Avere we near a town I 
should like to try that daisy-c^ttter of yours upon a piece of level 
road, (barring eaiiter), for a quart of claret at the next inn.— Sir 
Walter Scott. 

Daiig^erous Horse. An unknown horse of which one 
is afraid in a race ; one of whose chances of success no informa- 
tion is to be had. 

Dark. All racing and trotting rules forbid the making 
of a heat or race when it is so dark that the gait of the horses 
cannot be plainly seen from the judges' stand. 

Dark Horse. A horse not known; one of which all 
contestants are afraid ; whose capabilities are not known. 

Years ago there lived in Tennessee an old chap iiamed Sani Flynn, 
who always had a nag or two, traded horses to some extent and 
who had a black liorse called Dusky Pete, almost a thoroughbred, 
which he would straddle and ride into town in such a way as gave 
those who knew it the impression that Fete wasn't luuch of a 
"hoss." One day Sam canie into town where there was a county 
race meeting and entered Pete at a post match. The people backed 
two or tliree local favorites quite heavily against iiim, not knowing 
anything of his antecedents. Just as "the flyers were being sad- 
dled for the race, old Judge JNIcMinamee, Avho was the turf oracle 
of that part of the State, arrived on the course and was made one 
of the judges. As he took his place on the stand he was told how 
the betting ran, and the folly of the owner of the strange entry in 
backing his "plug" so heavily. Running his eye over the track 
the judge instantly recognized Pete and said: " Gentlemen, there's 
a dark horse in this race that Avill make some of you sick before 
supper." The judge was right. Pete, the "dark horse," lay back 
until the three-quarter pole was reached when he went to the front 
with a rush, and Avon the purse and Flynn's bets Avith the greatest 
ease. This is the true origin of the saying "a dark horse." 
Wallace's Monthly, May, 1884. 

The first faA^orite was ncA^er heard of, the second favorite was never 
seen after the distance post, all the ten-to-oners Avere in the race, 
and a dark horse which liad never been thought of rushed past tlie 
grand stand in sweeping triumph. — The Young Duke, Benjamin 
D'Israeli. 

Darley Arabian. One of the three most remarkable 
horses of which equine history gives any record. It was dur- 
ing the reign of Queen Anne, 1702-1 71i, (famous in its his- 
tory of the English thoroughbred racehorse), that this cele- 
brated animal attained his greatest fame. He is supposed to 
have been bred in the desert of Palmyra, and was brought 

67 



68 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



from Aleppo in Asiatic Turkey by the agent of an English 

commercial company trading there, about 1700. He was of 

bay color and was probably a genuine Arabian, although his 

exact lineage was never ascertained. His name is derived from 

his owner, Mr. Darley of Yorkshire. The Darley Arabian was 

the progenitor of some of the finest horses that have perhaps 

existed in the world, among them the Devonshire or Flying 

Childers, foaled in 1715, and named from his breeder, Mr. 

Leonard Childers; and the Bleeding, or Bartlett's Childers, a 

horse that was never trained, but which was the fleetest horse 

of his day, and the ancestor of Eclipse, one of the most 

remarkable horses of w^hich there is any record. Common 

report affirmed that the Darley Arabian could run a mile in a 

minute, but there is no authentic record of this. His son, 

Flying Childers, ran over the round course at Newmarket, 

(three miles, six furlongs and ninety-three yards), in six 

minutes and forty seconds ; and over the Beacon course, (four 

miles, one furlong and one hundred and thirty-eight yards), in 

seven minutes and thirty seconds. 

Dash; Dash Race. A short race; as, a three-quarter 

mile dash; a mile and an eighth dash; a race decided in a 

single attempt instead of in heats. First run in the United 

States in 1861: at the Saratoga, N. Y., course. 

For some years prior to 38C4, lieat-rachig liad been on tlie declinje in 
England and dasli racing growing in favor, and tiie people of New 
Yorlc followed England's lead nntil racing has come down from 
heats of four miles to dashes of five furlongs. Long-distance races 
are only a memory that lingers in the minds of a few turfmen of 
the old school who have survived the period of transition the sport 
has undergone.— The Horseman. 

Dash Watch. A watch placed in a leather case made 
of the exact size to receive it, which is fitted to the dashboard 
or fender of the buggy, by means of a spring clasp, so that the 
driver can always have the time before him when driving. 

Dawson, Thomas. Of Middleham, England, the most 
famous and best all-round trainer in England from 1830, till 
his death in 1881. He was the originator of the modern 
and improved system of training thoroughbreds. He was 
the first to see the fallacies of the old method, and to act 
upon his own well-considered opinions. He did away with the 
drenchings, profuse sweatings and short supplies of water, 
introducing in their stead plenty of old oats and hard work. 
He was an oracle on horse flesh, and the thanks of all owners 
of horses are justly due to him for the radical and salutary 
change he effected in the training world. 

Daylig'ht, Two Leng-ths of. There is an unwritten 
rule among some drivers that there must be " two lengths of 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 69 

daylight," (that is, a distance of twice the length of the horse 
and sulky), between the head of one's horse and the wheel of 
the other's sulky, before the attempt to pass can be made. 
But in practice this well understood rule comes down to the 
real law of the trotting turf that no driver shall pass another, 
when, by so doing, he causes him to swerve from his course, or 
in swinging in, impedes the stride of the horse passed. 

Dead Heat. A dead heat, according to trotting law, 
is always counted, and is regarded as a heat that is undecided 
only as between the horses making it; and it is a heat that is 
lost by all the other contending horses. The time made shall 
be regarded a record or bar for the horses making the dead 
heat ; and if for any other cause the heat is not awarded to 
either of the leading horses it shall be awarded to the next 
best horse, and no time shall be given out. By the N'ational 
rules when two or more horses make a dead heat, the remain- 
ing horses start for the succeeding heat in the same positions 
with reference to the pole that they occupied at the finish of 
the dead heat. By the American rules whenever two or more 
horses have to their credit a sufficient number of dead heats, or 
heats and dead heats to have terminated the race if such dead 
heats had been won by either of them, only such horses shall 
start in the next heat. By the laws of the Turf Congress 
horses running a dead heat for a race, or place, shall be deemed 
winners of the race or place until the dead heat is run off, or 
the owners agree to divide ; and if the owners agree to divide, 
each horse wdiich divides shall be deemed a winner of the race 
or place for which he divides. 

It is considered by many next to impossible that horses should run a 
dead heat, and, indeed, it seems as though there must be a sliy:l»t 
difference between all horses in a close finish. — How to Train the 
Racehorse, Col. E,. Warburton. 

Dead Mouth. A dead, or non-sensitive mouth, is one 
of the most disappointing faults that a horse can acquire. It 
is generally occasioned by the horse, usually a tongue-loller, 
carrying his tongue over the bit, which produces that condi- 
tion known as a dead mouth. 

Dead Track. A track or race-course having a hard sub- 
grade and an unyielding surface. 

Rarus demonstrated his ability to pull a wagon in 2:151/2 over a track 
that had just been made, and, in addition, was dead and damp 
from late rains.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Deciding" Heat. The last heat in a race ; a heat of a 
race in which two or more heats have been performed, and 
which determines the final result by the starters in that particu- 
lar heat. By the racing rules there is no distance in a decid- 
ing heat. 



70 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Declarations. The Turf Congress rules require that 
declarations must be made in purse races by 12 o'clock, noon, 
the day of the race. If a person having more than one horse 
entered in a purse, declares one out, he thereby declares all 
out. All declaration fees go — 60 per cent, to second horse, 
and 40 per cent, to third horse ; and in case one horse distances 
the field, in heat races, all entrance and declaration money 
must go with the purse. 

I>eiital Star. A particular marking in the permanent 
incisors deemed an important factor in judging the age of a 
horse after he is eight years old. It is a discoloration of the 
dentine, (the ivory-like substance filling the cavity of the teeth, 
softer and darker colored than the rest of the tooth), which 
appears on the table of the tooth as the crown becomes worn 
away, in the form of a transversely elongated dark-yellow line. 

Dentition. The act or process of cutting teeth. The 
horse has two sets of teeth, like all the other domestic animals. 
They are called those of the first dentition or temporary ; and 
those of the second dentition, or permanent. See Teeth. 

Derby. The most important annual race in England, 
possibly in the world, run on the Downs, a mile and a half 
south of the village of Epsom, Surrey, fourteen miles from 
London. The Derby stakes were founded in 1780, by Edward 
Smith Stanley, Twelfth Earl of Derby, the year following his 
establishment of the Oaks stakes. The stakes are 6,000 sover- 
eigns — the winner to receive 5,000 sovereigns, the nominator 
of the winner 500 sovereigns, the owner of the second 300 
sovereigns, and the owner of the third 200 sovereigns. The 
event is for three-year-olds, colts to carry 126 pounds, and 
fillies to carry 121 pounds. The first Derby was won by Diomed, 
owned by the celebrated Sir Charles Bunbury, which horse in a 
few years won over $38,000 in stakes, and was sold in 1798 for 
fifty guineas, and brought to this country. From the time 
the race was inaugurated up to 1784, the length of the Derby 
course was one mile. From 1784 up to and including 1871, 
the distance was one and a half miles. In 1872, and since, the 
start has been from the new High Level starting post, the dis- 
tance being one and a haK miles and twenty-nine yards. It is 
up hill for a quarter of a mile, tolerably flat for the next half, 
down hill for the next quarter, and undulating with a rise to 
the finish for the remainder of the distance. The Derby has 
been won by such great horses as Queen of Trumps, Bay Mid- 
dleton, Smolensko, Surplice, Don Juan, St. Bevys, Plenipoten- 
tiary, Bard, Bend Or, Sainfoin, Pyrrhus the First, Mameluke, 
Orm, and greatest of all, the mighty Ormonde. 



HAl^DBOOK OF THE TURf. 71 

Derby Day. The day on which the Derby stakes are 
run for. It always occurs on the second day — Wednesday — of 
the great Epsom Spring Meeting in May, being the Wednesday 
before Wliitsuntide. It takes place on this day, rain or shine, 
the precise minute varies only occasionally as when the horses 
are bad in coming into form for a start. Parliament adjourns 
till the race is run. 

Every New Englaii<l deacon ought to see one Derby day to learn what' 
sort of a world tliis is lie li vt-s in. Man is a sporting as well as a pray- 
inj;- aniiii.il.— Dr. Olivei- Wendell Holmes, 1834. 

The Derby lias always been the one evt-ni. in the racing year which 
statesmen, philosophers, poets, essayists and litterateurs desire to 
see once in their lives. — The London Eield, May 2V, 168C. 

During the last twenty years the average time of the Dei by, one and a 
half miles, is 2 min." 48 sec, or a mile in 1 luin. 52 sec., the liorses 
carrying 122 pounds. — rhe Badmijdon Library : Racing and Steeple- 
chasing, Arthur Coventry and A. E. T. AValson. 

The horses were brought out, smooili, shining, line-drawn, frisky, spirit 
stirring to look upon -most beautiful of all the bay horse Ormonde, 
who coukl hai-dly l)e restrained, such was his eagerness for action. 
The horses disappear in the distance. They are olf, not yet. distin- 
giiisiiable, at least to me. A little waiting time, and they swim into 
our ken, but in what order of precedence it is as yet not easy to 
say. Here they come! Two horses have emerged from the ruck, 
and are sweeping, rushing, storming, towards us, almost side by 
side. One slides by the other, half a length, a length, a length and. 
a half. Tliose are Archer's colors, and the beautiful bay Ormonde 
flashes by the line, winner of the Derby of 1886. — Our Hundred Days 
in Europe, Dr. Oliver Wendell Holmes. 

As lojigas tlie Derby is run for at Epsom, which, for aught we know, 
may be to the end of time, so long will Ei>som contiiuie to fascinate 
the public, and people will flock to the Downs in the hope, or on 
the [)retence. of seeing a race whi<;li not one man in fifty everreally 
sees, nor one in twenty cares about, seeing. — Tlie Badminton Library ; 
Racing, The Earl of Sulfolk and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Description. An ideaitification. All turf rules require 
an adequate description of every horse entered for any race, 
purss, or stake, which shall embrace name, color, sex, marks, 
and other facts required for identification. 

Developed; Developing-. To bring out; to perfect. 
It is said of a finished trotting horse that he is developed ; the 
art of training a horse to develop his speed qualities. A horse 
that is in training is said to be developing ; one that is getting 
his gait is said to be developing fast, or developing well ; 
promising. 

Developed Sires. Stallions in service that have been 
worked, trained and developed for speed, in distinction from 
those which have not been trained for speed. Upon the cor- 
rectness of the theory that developed speed in sire and dam is 
an important factor in tlie transmission of speed, there are dif- 
fering opinions. ]\Iany hold that the developed sires are not 
as successful in the stud as those which have never been devel- 
oped, and instance Electioneer with one hundred and forty-four 
in the 2:30 list, never developed ; and others believe that the 



72 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEP. 

complete 2:30 list is the most convincing argument that could 
be made, of the value of developing the speed qualities of horses 
from which it is intended to produce trotters. 

Devices, of various kinds for the harness, stable, horse, 
and general business of the turf, have greatly multiplied of late, 
the finer and nicer work required in all departments demand- 
ing the use of a larger number of implements, contrivances, 
and equipments. Such as are of most value, not mentioned in 
other parts of this work under their proper heading, are named — 
For the Harness: Check rein holders for holding the check rein 
in place in the water hook, of various patterns ; rein-snap or 
snap-hook for holding the reins in place ; covering of fine 
lamb's wool, canvas lined, for applying to harness to prevent 
chafing. For the Horse : Elastic appliances of various kinds, 
as, hock compress or truss for blood spavin, fetlock support for 
colts with weak legs, shin brace, stockings, pastern brace, to 
prevent knuckling, curb compress ; shoe pad of rubber and cork, 
held in place by a spring ; calk cover, to be placed over the 
shoe when the horse is in the stable ; ice creepers, adjustable, 
for preventing horses from slipping on icy roads ; hoof expand- 
ers, for corns, contracted feet and quarter cracks ; hoof pad 
springs, for holding in place felt packing upon the sole of the 
foot ; double crupper, placed under or within the ordinary 
crupper for adjusting the position of the tail, so that a span 
may carry their tails uniformly when in harness ; open 
saddle, for use in case of sore backs caused by saddle gall ; 
supports and shields for stallions ; anti-snowball pad for insert- 
ing in the shoe to prevent balling ; rubber head bumpers, to be 
worn by the horse when being transported by rail, to prevent 
injury ; bone and rubber rattles to prevent interfering. Simple 
and common stable equipments, the use of which is obvious, 
do not require mention. Devices for the track like jockey 
boards, score boards, electric bells, dials announcing succes- 
sive races, boxes, electrical chronometers, etc., are generally 
described under their respective headings. 

Diag-onal Gait. The trot. The order of movement in 
the trot is : Left fore foot, right hind foot, right fore foot, 
left hind foot. Thus, the left fore and right hind foot move 
in unison, striking the ground together; then, in turn, right 
fore foot and left hind foot complete the revolution, and, there- 
fore, the trot is most properly called the diagonal gait. 

Diastema. The toothless interval in the lower jaw 
between the corner incisors and the molar teeth behind, called 
the bar, and upon which the bit rests. It is an interesting 
fact in zoological science that in the most primitive condition 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 73 

of dentition of the horse, there appears to have been no such 
interval, all the teeth having been in contact. 

Diomed. First winner of the Derby. By Florizel; 
dam, by Spectator. He was no less celebrated as a sire than as 
a racer. He left famous stock in England, and when 22 years 
old was imported into Virginia where he laid the foundation 
for the best running stock in the South. Among his famous 
get in that State were : Sir Archy, Florizel, Potomac, Top 
Gallant, Peace Maker, Hamlinton and Duroc. 

Directum. Black colt, foaled in 1889; by Director, 
2:17, by Dictator; dam, Stem Winder, 2:31, by Venture. 
Holding the World's record for a four year old to the end of 
1893, (race record), iN'ashville, Tenn., October 18, 1893, 2:05f 

Dis. When occurring in a summary indicates that the 
horse against whose name it is placed was distanced in the 
heat where it occurs. 

Disg'uising'. Turf law inflicts expulsion from all tracks 
controlled by members, upon any person guilty of painting or 
disguising any horse to represent another or different horse, 
when entered for a race. Many states also have severe laws 
against the same. See Law. 

Dismounting". By the trotting rules no driver can dis- 
mount at the close of a heat, or leave his sulky, without per- 
mission of the judges, and those deficient in bodily weight 
shall be re-weighed after each heat. During any delay in 
starting a race, occasioned by accident to any rider or his 
equipment, jockeys may dismount and give up their horses to 
an attendant; but at the close cannot dismount without per- 
mission of the judge. 

Dismounting. [Eq.] In dismounting from the saddle, 
take hold of the mane of the horse and pommel of the saddle 
as in mounting. Bear the weight upon the straightened arms 
as the right leg is brought over the left side ; hold the body 
for an instant in a position perpendicular to the side of the 
horse, the whole weight being supported by the arms, and 
drop gently to the ground at the shoulder of the horse. In 
dismounting when the horse is in motion, avoid the momen- 
tary rest as the leg is brought over the left side, and striking 
the ground prepared to take a few steps with the horse, 
whether at the gallop or trot, after which release the hold 
upon the mane and pommel of the saddle. 

DisquaUfied. By the rules of the Turf Congress when 
a horse is disqualified, every other horse belonging wholly or 
in part to the same owner, is also disqualified; and if any 



74 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 

transfer is made for the purpose of avoiding payment of 
forfeit orders or any disqualification, the person making and 
receiving such transfers may be fined or ruled off. 

Distal Phalanx. The coffin bone. 

Distance. The space measured back from the winning 
post or judges' stand which a horse, in heat-races, must have 
reached when the winning horse has covered the whole course, 
in order to be entitled to enter subsequent heats. By the 
rules of the trotting turf distances are : Races of mile heats, 
eighty yards ; races of two mile heats, one hundred and fifty 
yards; races of three mile heats, two hundred and twenty 
yards ; mile heats, best three in five, one hundred yards ; heats 
of not over one mile, in which eight or more horses start, 
distance is to be increased one half, unless otherwise stated in 
the conditions of the race. In a fairly trotted heat, when 
there is no question as to the placing of horses, those whose 
heads have not reached the distance stand or post as soon as 
the leading horse arrives at the wire, are declared to be dis- 
tanced. All horses distanced in the first heat are equal. If a 
heat has been won by a protested horse the judges are to waive 
the application of a distance as to all other horses except for 
fouls; and judges may waive distance, (except for fouls), to 
any horse for which they have substituted a rider or driver; 
also, in case of a dead heat, judges may waive the application 
of the distance rule. A horse distancing the field in one heat, 
closes the race and is entitled to the entire purse, stake or 
premium, unless otherwise stated. The American Turf Con- 
gress recognizes the following distances : In heats of three- 
quarters of a mile, twenty-five yards ; one mile, thirty yards ; 
two miles, seventy yards ; three miles, sixty yards ; four miles, 
seventy yards. In the deciding heat there is no distance. 

Distanced. To be distanced in a heat or race, is to 
have no place. A horse which fails to reach the distance-post 
or stand before the heat has been won, or whose driver or 
rider is adjudged to have made certain specified errors, is 
regarded as distanced. 

Distance Flag". The flag in the hands of the distance 
judge, the falling of which, as the winning horse reaches the 
wire, is the signal that horses which have not reached the 
distance post are shut out. 

Distanced Horse. A distanced horse is out of the 
race, having no place. 

Distance Judge. A person appointed by the judges 
to remain in the distance stand, or at the distance post during 
a heat or race, and, at the close, report to them the horse or 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 75 

horses that are behind the flag, and all Eonl or improper con- 
duct, if any has occurred under his observation. 

Distance Post; Distance Stand. The stand or 
post at the end of the distance. 

Doclt. The solid part of the horse's tail; the crupper of 
a saddle. 

Docking". The act of cutting off or clipping the horse's 
tail, an operation which the dictates of fashion have caused to 
be inflicted, periodically, for the past two hundred years ; the 
length of the dock or stump being a matter of mere caprice. 

Dog". A mean horse ; a quitter. 

Domino. A phenomenal young thoroughbred racehorse, 
known as "the unbeaten." Bred by B. G. Thomas, Lexing- 
ton, Ky. Foaled in 1890. By Himyar; dam, Mamie Gray, 
by Enquirer. Morris Park, September 29, 1893, won the 
Matron Stakes, six furlongs, carrying 128 pounds, in 1:09, the 
fastest time on record. His winnings as a four-year old in 
1893, were -1176.730, no other American horse ever having won 
anything nearly approaching this sum in a single season. 

Doncaster. In the West Riding of York, England, on 
the river Don. The seat of the great race-course which has a 
magnificent grand stand, and also a splendid noblemen's stand. 
Races were establislied here in 1703, and the St Leger, for 
three-year-olds, established by Col. Sb. Leger, is run in Septera 
ber of each year. 

Doping". Drugging; from dope, any thick liquid. 
When a horse is said to have been doped, the inference is that 
he has been drugged or tampered with. It is punishable by 
severe penalties. 

Double-bridle. A bridle with two bits, two headstalls 
and two reins, same as the bit and bridoon. 

Double-g"aited. A horse which, in motion, both trots 
and paces is said to be double-gaited. In general this change 
is made without apparent effort, but it is noticeable that when 
a horse changes from a trot to a pace he squats a few inches — 
some drivers assert from three to four inches — traveling closer 
to the ground, the back being perfectly level. The usual 
changes in gait are these : In starting from a walk the horse 
ambles, or goes at a slow pace, and in passing from this to a 
pace he usually consumes ten or a dozen steps in shuffling, 
skipping, hopping, before the settled pace is caught. In 
changing from a pace to a trot but two or three shuffling steps 
are required. The formula is this : It is easy for a horse to 
go from a trot to a pace ; difficult to go from the amble to the 
trot, and hard to go from the pace to the trot. 



76 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Give Gus Glidden one of those double-g:aitecl, shifty, pacing horses that 
are occasionally met with, and lie could come nearer straightening 
him out and making him go on a straight trot, in less time tiian any 
man I evei' saw.— Lite witn the Trotters, John Splaii. 

Double-harness. A harness for a span of horses driven 
abreast. Each one is usually lighter than a single harness, and 
contains nearly the same number of pieces, although in that 
intended for light carriage use the breeching or hold-back straps 
are discontinued. 

Double- jointed Snaffle. A bit similar to the double- 
barred or Pantograph snaffle, intended for hard pullers, being a 
compromise between the single-jointed snaffle and the bar bit. 

Double-pocket. A disadvantageous position for a 
horse in a heat, which may be the result of circumstances, or in 
part that of design. As an example : A horse may have the 
pole and another lapped on his outside wheel ; when a third 
horse may come up behind the one at the pole and yet a fourth 
immediately lap on his outside. Hence the horse behind the 
leading pole horse would be in a " double pocket " with little 
chance of getting out, although he might have more speed than 
either of the others. See Pocket. 

Double-reined Bridle. A bridle with a single bit 
and two reins, like the Pelham, having one bit, one head- 
stall, and two reins. 

Double-ring-ed Snaffle. A bit that may be used for 
horses which bore to one side, or which have at times to be 
turned very sharply. 

Double-team, World's Record. To wagon, to the 
close of 1893: One mile — Belle Hamlin and Honest George, 
Providence, R. I., September 23, 1892, 2:12^; in a race, one 
mile — Maxy Cobb and Neta Medium, Chicago, 111., September 
25, 1885, 2:18f 

Down in the Dirt. When a horse that has been 
running or trotting badly suddenly recovers his form and 
improves all at once, the prophets who said he was a quitter, 
and those who layed on his opponents, are " down in the dirt," 
or floored. 

Drawg^ate. The gate from the stables to the course, 
through which the horses in a race go upon the track. 

Drawing-. A term relating to feeding a horse for a race, 
but one having two meanings in this connection. It refers to 
the act of reducing the quantity of hay fed, or " drawing " 
away a portion of the regular ration. Mr. Splan, in telling how 
he fed one of his horses for a race, says : " She would get a light 
feed of hay after her work, and that was all the drawing I found 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. - 77 



necessary in her case." It also refers to the drawing up or 

reducing the size of the abdomen in order that the horse may 

not be cumbered with unnecessary bulk. 

I am not in favor of drawing a horse as closely as many do, who, I 
think, err in making their restrictions too severe. There is a point 
to be reached in tliis preparation wliich it should be our aim to 
observe, viz. : That the stomacli should not be encumbered, and yet 
the nourishment afforded by the food be sufBcient to carry a horse 
througli a race in wliich he would weaken unless the supply was 
adequate to meet the demands.— Joseph Cairn Simpson. 

Drawing for Positions. When the horses are out 
the drawing for positions usually takes place in this manner : 
One judge with a pencil in hand, so that no one else can see, 
points to the name of a horse in the list of entries, and, with 
his back to another judge, asks, " What position shall this 
horse have ? " The other replies, " second," " sixth," or any 
other number ; and this goes on until all are drawn — number 
one having drawn the pole, and the highest number the 
outside place. 

Drawn. A horse taken from a race after having been 
entered, is said to have been drawn ; not a starter. But no 
horse can be drawn except by permi'ssion of the judges unless 
at or before 7 o'clock p. m., of the day preceding the race. By 
the old rules it had the same force as distanced. 

Dress of Jockeys. The racing rules require that all 
riders must be dressed in proper costume — cap and jacket of 
silk or satin, white or colored breeches and top boots. 

Dressed Mouth. A dressed mouth is one in which the 
tables or surface of the teeth have been filed down or bishoped, 
often for the purpose of complicating the determination of age. 

Dressing'. The scraping, cleaning, drying, bandaging, 
and blanketing of a horse after a race, or after a day's hunt or 
work, is called " dressing." The average time required is an 
hour and a half to each horse. 

Dressing" a Track. Fitting the surface for a heat or 
race by means of a light, fine harrow, float or brush. 

Dressing Harrow. A wide harrow having sharp, fine 
teeth, adjustable in length, for the purpose of finishing the 
surface of a track. 

Drive Him Out of It. A term used in training 
where the horse trots with his fore legs and at the same time 
runs behind. To balance such a horse, trainers recommend 
the use of light shoes behind, with heavier ones forward, and 
possibly a four ounce toe-weight. Drive at first at half speed, 
increasing it gradually. Radical treatment is to use spreaders 
and send the horse out brisk — in other words, " drive him out 
of it." 



78 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Drive Him Over Himself. To force a horse off his 
gait. 

Driver. One who drives a race in a sulky, in distinction 
from one who rides a race in the saddle. 

Driving- Bit. The watering bit. An ordinary bridoon 
with rings, used with cart, car, truck, wagon, plow ; and cavalry 
regulation bit. A bit, mild and harmless in general application. 

Driving' Kein. A rein in which the hand part consists 
of two strips or pieces instead of one ; between which leather 
hand-loops are stitched at convenient distances apart ranging 
from six to ten inches, to meet the requirements of different 
kinds of service. 

Dr'n. In a summary of the race, these letters mean that 
the horse against which name they are placed, was drawn from 
the race in the heat in which they appear. 

Dropped Heat. Practically the same as a heat laid 
up, with this difference : The rules allow a heat to be laid up 
by permission of the judges upon having it announced from 
the stand, while a heat is often dropped to favor a fraud and 
not known to any but the parties interested. Thus a horse 
may ask permission to lay up a heat in order that he may be 
able to win the deciding heat of a hard race, while a horse able 
to win in straight heats may drop one to some other horse in 
order to insure him second money. 

Dropping Anchor. [Eng.] Keeping back a horse in a 
race, or voluntarily losing it. 

On tlie other hand, on remarking upon the mild way of riding, the 
visitor will, probably, be met with the retort, that if the joclceys did 
not Hog their animals unmercifully, they would be accused of wliat 
is liere termed in racing slang, "dropping the anchor." — Sporting 
Times. 

No trainer of experience will attempt to deny the impossibility of 
detecting by ocular observation, whetlier the jockey whom he 
employs "droi)S anchor" or does his best to win a race.— Tlie Bad- 
minton Library: Racing. The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and 
^Y. G. Craven. 

Dropping Behind. Knuckling or dropping behind 
with the pastern joint or joints, is caused by what is known as 
chinked or broken back ; and is in all cases an unsoundness. 

Dropsy. A distended, bulky stomach is too often an 
indication of dropsy, in which case the horse is unsound. 

Ds. Small, semi-circular metal hoops M^hich are attached 
by chafes, (short leather straps), to the front or back of the 
saddle for strapping on a coat, small case, or other personal 
effects. 

Dumb Jockey. A device made of whalebone, gutta- 
percha, leather and rubber springs used in bitting and training 



ha:n-dbook of the turf. 79 

colts. It consists of a saddle fastened by a belly girth, two 
arms extending upward from the saddle to which the ends of 
the reins and crupper strap are attached, the side checks being- 
fastened to the lower part of the saddle on each side ; the reins 
and straps being elastic and adjustable. There are various 
patterns. 

I>. V. S. Doctor of veterinary surgery. 

Dwell. [Eng.] A short stop made by a horse at a fence 
before taking it ; not refusing and bolting sidewise, but the 
act of considering. It is a fault in a chaser, as horses must fly 
to their fences and get away from them immediately. 

Dwell ; Dwelling- Behind. When a horse has that 
faulty or erratic action in the hind members which is best 
described as being both too long and slow, he is said to " dwell 



Ears. The ears of the horse are expressive of many feel- 
ings, convey pleasure and pain as well as anger, and afford an 
excellent index of mind and health. The command which the 
horse has over them is marvelous. They can be thrown for- 
ward or backward at w^ill. One can be thrown back to hear 
in the rear, while the other is thrown forward as the horse sees 
and hears in front. The normal position of the ear when the 
horse is inactive, is thrown backwards, but when he is at w^ork 
it varies with conditions. When expecting orders it is verti- 
cal ; when the horse is cross it drops back low ; when listening 
or looking to the front it is thrown forward; w^hen he is 
asleep one ear is always pointed to the front. When the sad- 
dle horse is in action he listens attentively to the least sound 
of his rider's voice, which he expects to hear, and by giving 
him the habit of listening to and obeying the voice, the use of 
the bit is reduced to the minimum. 

The ear which has most admirers is the one which is composed of a 
mere shell of gristle envehjpedln a layer of thin skin, which should 
toe clothed with a coat of fine hair, ilxat may, however, be somewhat 
meager on the inner surface, especially in the summer season. lu 
shape it should taper from the base to a rather sharp point at the 
tip. Experience in selecting horses has led us to observe the move- 
ments of the ear with much care, and regard them to some extent 
as the index to the animal's character, for they not only indicate a 
well-balanced disposition, a vicious or sluggish horse, as the case 
may be, but they point to defective eyesight, or even total blindness, 
in which case the ever restless ear will be thrown tirst in one direc- 
tion and then in another. — E. A. A.. Grange, V. S., Michigan State 
College Experiment Station. 

Easy Bit. [Eq.] In equestrianism what is termed an 

easy bit is the best for a horse , because, while a severe bit 

ought to enable him to do well and prevent him from doing 

ill, instead it often causes a severe restraint upon the natural 

action of the horse. 

An easy bit is the best one by which to control the horse, and next to 
this a skillful hand— for the bit is the hand, and a good hand is the 
whole of the rider. — New Method of Horsemanship, F. Baucher. 

Eclipse. The most celebrated horse in the annals of the 

turf. Bred by the Duke of Cumberland. Foaled April 1, 

1764, the day on which occured the remarkable eclipse of the 

sun, from which event his name was given. By Mask, by 

Squirt, by Bartlett's Childers, by the Darley Arabian; dam, 

Spiletta, by Regulus, by the Godolphin Arabian. He was 

80 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 81 

chestnut in color, with a white blaze down his face and his off 
hind leg was white from his hock downwards. He had black 
spots upon his rump, a peculiarity said to be seen in his male 
descent to the present day. The very great size, obliquity and 
lowness of his shoulders were the objects of general remark; 
with the shortness of his fore quarters, his ample and finely 
proportioned hind quarters and the swelling muscles of his 
forearm and thigh. He was 15.1 hands high. His shoulders 
were so thick that, according to the observation of his time, a 
firkin of butter might have rested upon them ; while he stood 
very high behind — a conformation suited to his great power of 
progression. Of his speed, no correct estimate can be formed, 
for he never met with an opponent sufficiently fleet to put it to 
the test. He was what is termed a "thick winded horse," and 
puffed and roared so as to be heard at a considerable distance. 
For this, or some other cause, he was not brought upon the 
turf till he was five years old. He run his first race at Epsom, 
May 3, 1769. In 1770 he beat Mr. Wentworth's Bucephalus, 
which had never before been conquered. Two days afterwards 
he distanced Mr. Strode's Pensioner, a very good horse ; and in 
August of the same year he won the great subscription at 
York. No horse daring to enter against him, he closed his 
short turf career of seventeen months, by walking over the 
Newmarket course for the King's plate, on October 18, 1770, 
having run or walked over eighteen courses. He was never 
beaten, nor ever paid forfeit, and won for his owners over 
£25,000. Leaving the turf he entered the stud where his 
career was equally remarkable. He produced the extraordinary 
number of three hundred and thirty-four winners, which net- 
ted to their owners more than £160,000 exclusive of plates and 
cups. He died in February, 1789, at the age of 25 years. His 
heart weighed 14 pounds, which is said to have accounted for 
his wonderful spirit and courage. 

In the language of honest John Lawrence, he "pnffed and blowed like 
an otter, and galloped as wide as a barn-door." No sooner were his 
powers exhibited on the tnrf than every eye was set to scrutinize 
his form and lie was then admitted to possess in perfection the exter- 
nal characters indicative of great speed. A volume was written on 
his pi-oportions by M. Saintbel,a veterinary surgeon, whose investi- 
gations showed that his figure differed greatly from the conven- 
tional form which speculative writers had assigned as the standard 
of perfection. He was of an indomitable temper, and his jockeys 
found it in vain to attempt to hold him, but contented themselves 
with remaining still in the saddle while he swept along, Jiis nose 
almost touching the ground. The fleetest hoi'ses of his time could 
not keep by liis side for fifty yards together. — Domesticated 
Animals of Great Britain, Prof. David Low. 

Mr. John Lawrence says his first race in 1769 aroused the curiosity of 
some persons who attempted to watch his trial. In his language: 
"They were too late, but they found au old womau who gave them 

6 



82 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

all the information they wanted. On inquiring whether she had 
seen a race, she replied tliat slie could not tell whether it was a 
race or not, but that siie liad just seen a horse with white legs run- 
ninii" away at a nionslrous iaTe, and another liorse a great Avay 
beiiind, trying to run after him; but site was sure lie never would 
catch the wliite legged liorse, if he run to the world's end."— History 
of the Horse, London, 1831. 

Edge. A horse is said to be on edge, when he is in 
splendid condition, and, after proper training, is eager for a 
race. 

Ell>ow. A portion of the forearm ; the large bony pro- 
jection at the upper and front portion of the forearm. 

Electioneer, 125. The great sire of trotters. Bred by- 
Charles Backman, Stony Ford, N. Y. Foaled May 2, 1868. 
Bay; stout, and compactly built, standing 15. 2^. By Rysdyk's 
Hambletonian ; dam. Green Mountain Maid, by Harry Clay, 
2:29. He was never trained, but as a three-year-old trotted 
in 2:42 with no fitting, and could trot in 2:23 or better, and for 
an eighth of a mile any daj go at a 2:20 gait. His head was 
well proportioned, of fair size, and a model of great intelligence. 
He had good shoulders, splendid barrel, faultless back, and, 
says Charles Marvin, " simply the best quarters I ever saw on 
a stallion, possessing the perfection of driving power." His 
forearms and gaskins were heavily muscled, his joints clean and 
soimd, and his legs and feet of first-class quality. He com- 
bined great power, elegant proportion and fine finish at every 
point. He died at Palo Alto, California, in 1890, the property 
of the late Leland Stanford. He stands at the head of all 
sires of 2:10 trotting speed, and, at the close of 1893 had one 
hundred and forty-four trotters and one pacer in the list of 
2:30 performers. 

Electric Chronometer. A device invented by Bitter 
Yon Stockert of Vienna, Austria, which notes on regular 
telegram slips the speed shown by each horse in a field, to one- 
tenth of a second. It is set going as the word is given, and 
one person alone can control it and record the speed of each 
horse engaged in the race. 

Electrical Appliances. The American racing rules 
punish by severe penalties the use of "drugs, electrical or 
mechanical appliances," or other means than the whip and 
spur for the purpose of stimulating the endurance or speed of 
a horse in a race. 

Eligible. The American and National rules provide 
that a horse is not entitled to start in any race that has beaten 
the time advertised prior to the closing of the entries for the 
race in which he is nominated. A fraction is not a bar — that 
is to say, a horse having made a record of 2:29 and a fraction, 
is eligible to enter in the 2:30 class. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 83 

Elliott's Electrical Chronograph. A device for 
noting and registering the speed of horses in a race. It con- 
sists of a face seven feet high by sixteen feet long, having in 
the center a dial seven feet in diameter. On either end are 
indicators which show the number of the race, number of the 
heat and number of the winning horse ; also the numbers of 
the horses occupjdng second, third and fourth places. On the 
other end is an indicator showing the time made to the 
quarter, half, and three-quarters, also the finish, in figures 
eight inches long, the time being given in sixtieths of a second. 
Upon the dial are three pointers — one revolving once in five 
minutes, another revolving every minute, and a third revolving 
once per second, and stopping on the sixtieth, as the dial is 
divided. The starting, indicating of the quarters of the course, 
and the stopping, is done by pressing buttons arranged on a 
small cabinet to be placed in the judges' stand or any con- 
venient localit5^ As the connection is made by electricity, the 
distance or location of either the chronograph or buttons is a 
matter of no moment ; only that the machine should be placed 
where the dial may be seen by the greatest number of persons 
interested in the race. The quarters, or any intermediate 
time, is taken without affecting the operation of the chrono- 
graph, by means of electrotyped dials having figures from one 
to sixty. Arranged alongside of these dials or discs is an ink- 
ing ribbon and strip of paper. The pressing of the button by 
the timsr strikes the electric hammer upon this paper, and by 
means of the inking ribbon the number of seconds or sixtieths 
of a second at that instant are recorded upon the strip of 
paper. The finishes are also recorded in the same way, in 
addition to the record which is made by the large dial outside ; 
so that at the close of a day's racing the finish of every mile, 
half, three-quarters, and quarter of a mile, are accurately 
recorded upon the strips of paper, which may be kept for 
future reference. The device has a roof and sides of canvas to 
protect the operator and machinery from the weather, and its 
entire weight is 950 pounds. 

Enamel. A texture of remarkable hardness forming the 
real protecting covering of the teeth, although laying under 
the cement or thin superficial covering. It is said to be of such 
extreme hardness that it will strike fire from flint. It resists 
decay longer than the dentine, or larger part of the tooth, and 
is always found in relief, or raised, on the surface of the table 
of the tooth. 

Engagement. The appointment or nomination for a 
race ; an entry. By all the turf rules the seller of a horse sold 



84 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

with his engagements, has not the power of striking him out. 
When a horse is sold with his engagements all penalties there- 
after growing out of such engagements attach to the horse and 
his purchaser or purchasers. 

Enlarg^ed Joints ; Soft Enlarg-ements. Soft 
enlargements during their formation, and until their result is 
ascertained, render a horse unsound. But if, upon being fully 
developed, they do not impede the horse in his ordinary work, 
he is sound ; but when they are so large as to be unsightly, they 
are blemishes. 

Entrance Fee. A percentage of the premium or purse 
which is paid by the owner of a horse when entering him for a 
particular race, stake, or purse. The system was devised by 
John Trail of Shrewsbury, England, who is known as " father 
of the clerk of the courses." All entrance fees must be paid 
before a horse can become a starter, and horses and owners or 
drivers may be suspended for non-payment of entrance dues. 

Entries. By the trotting rules entries may be made in 
writing, or by telegraph or telephone, and must be received 
before the advertised hour of the closing of entries, and all 
entries constitute an agreement " that the persons making them, 
owners, drivers, and horses " shall be subject to the rules, regu- 
lations, and bj'-laws of the association. The racing laws pro- 
vide that on being entered a horse shall be named and identified, 
and after having started in a public race his name shall not be 
changed ; and no alteration or condition shall be made in any 
entry after the time fixed for closing. Persons making entries 
become liable for the entrance money, stake, or forfeit ; and 
every horse entered for a purse must start unless declared out. 
Entries and subscriptions do not become void on the death of 
the parties making them. 

Epsom Downs. A mile and a half south of the town 
of Epsom, county of Surrey, England, where races lasting four 
days are run each year. Epsom is fourteen miles from Lon- 
don. The races were begun here about 1711, by Mr. Parkhurst, 
and have been held annually since 1730. 

Equestrian. [Eq.] Relating or pertaining to horses, 
horsemanship, or saddle riding ; consisting in or accompanied 
with performances on horseback; exercising or mounted on 
horseback. 

Equestrian Feats. English turf history records the 
following interesting events : In 1758, Miss Pond undertook to 
ride one thousand miles at Newmarket, in one thousand hours, 
for a purse of two hundred guineas ; which feat she performed 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 85 

in less than one-haK the time. In 1759, ^Jennison Shafts rode 
fifty miles in one hour, forty-nine minutes, using ten horses. 
In 1761, Mr. Woodcock rode one hundred miles a day for 
twenty-nine days, using fourteen horses. In 1786, Mr. Hull's 
horse, Quibbler, ran twenty-three miles in fifty-seven minutes, 
ten seconds. 

Eqtiidae. Latin for the horse family ; Equus caballus, 
Latin for the horse. See Horse. 

Equilibrium. [Eq.] The perfect balance of the horse 
when under the saddle. L^pon this depends his prompt, grace- 
ful and regular action. In equilibrium the weight of the rider 
and the forces of the horse are equally distributed. By means 
of this just distribution the different positions, the different 
paces, and the equilibriums that belong to them, are obtained 
without effort on the part of rider or horse. 

Equine. Pertaining to the horse, or belonging to the 
horse kind. 

Equine Bicycle. An equine bicycle was described in 
the papers in May, 1891, as having been invented by T. W. 
Moore, of New York. " It is made of steel tubing, like ordinary 
bicycles, and has similar wheels with ball bearings, rubber tires, 
etc., and is lighter than a sulky. The sliding of the sulky 
wdieels on the curves of the track is overcome by the new sulky, 
in which the point of contact with the ground is in a line with 
the center of the propelling power. There is no side motion, 
and the driver is not obliged to lean toward the inside in going 
round a curve to balance the vehicle, for there is no side 
swing." 

Erg-ot ; Spurs. Natural structural growths of soft horn 
located behind and below the pastern joint, and generally con- 
cealed under the tuft of hair on the fetlock. In fine bred 
horses this growth is comparatively slight ; in heavy, coarse 
ones it is very thick, often extending up the shank and giving 
origin to what is known as " feathers " in some breeds of 
horses. Dr. W. H. Flower believes that both by structure and 
position they are similar to the callosities on the palm of the 
human hand. 

Erratic Gait. Any wrong, incorrect, or unnatural gait 
or action in a horse at motion, such as running behind and 
trotting in front ; paddling ; hitching ; crossing, etc. 

Event. A fixed date which arrives ; an appointment 
that occurs ; a trotting meeting. In the United States there is 
really no fixed national event excepting the Futurity and Real- 
ization stakes. 



86 HA.KDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Evolution of the Trotter. If evolution may be 



regarded as " the process of evolving or becoming developed, 
an unfolding or a growth," the word may not inaptly be used 
to express the development of the American trotter during the 
past half century. The accompanying table, compiled from 
the most accurate sources, will show at a glance the successive 
stages in this evolution of the 2:30 trotter : 



Year. 








Number of Horses with 
2 : 30 or Better. 


1844, 








1 


1850, 








5 


1860, 








34 


1870, 








181 


1880, 








1,190 


1890, 








4,674 


1894, 








10,000 


Exhibition Mile. 


A display 


of speed or action shown 


by a horse at a 
race. 


meeting. 


usually 


betw^een heats of a regular 



Expulsion. By the trotting law expulsion is construed 
to mean "unconditional exclusion and disqualification from 
any participation, either directly or indirectly, in the privileges 
and uses of the course and grounds of a member." It may be 
imposed for attempting to make fraudulent entries ; allowing 
use of a member's track by an expelled person or horse ; refusing 
to afford information ; tampering with a horse ; pulling ; help- 
ing; breech of decorum or other just cause. All persons 
expelled for fraud from the trotting turf, stand, also, as expelled 
by all tracks under control of the Turf, or Racing Congress. 

Extend. When a horse is put to his speed, and opens 
out f reelj , he is said to extend. Explained by the quotations : 

" Well booted, the horse is not afraid of hitting himself when extended 

or put to his speed." 
" Some horses will not extend themselves iniless the rider has spurs on." 
The complaint that a horse "can't extend himself" generally applies 

to a horse that can trot in about three minutes.— Wallace's Monthly. 

Extension. A term commonly applied to all muscles 
whose action is to enlarge the angles and by so doing elongate 
the limbs — ^but their extension may be forward when the foot 
is in the air, or backward w^hen the foot is on the ground. 

Extreme Speed. The utmost limit of a horse's endur- 
ance at motion ; the greatest effort of which a horse is capable. 
The extreme speed of the trotter previous to 1820 was at 2:50 
to the mile in harness. In 1829, Topgallant went three miles 
in 8:11 ; in 1834, the gelding, Edwin Forrest went a mile 
under saddle in 2:31^; in 1839, Drover paced a mile in 2:28; 
in 1844, Lady Suffolk trotted under saddle in 2:26^; in 1844, 
Unknown paced to wagon in 2:23. In the next decade (1854), 
Flora Temple trotted in 2:1 9f, and in the same decade the mar- 



HAis'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 87 

velous pacing mare, (for her time), Pocahontas, went the mile 
to wagon in 2:17|-. The stars of the following decade, (18G4), 
were: Dexter 2:17f, and Lady Thorne, 2:18^. In the next 
period, (1874), Goldsmith Maid 2:14: Hopeful, 2:14f; Rarus, 
2:13^, and Lula, 2:14f, represented the limits of trotting speed. 
In 1879, St. Julian trotted in 2:12|, but reached his limit, 2:11 i, 
in 1880. In 1884, Jay-Eye-See trotted the mile in 2:10; and 
in 1885, Maud S. trotted in 2:08f, which last was the best time 
in 1893, to the high-wheel sulky. In 1892 Nancy Hanks made 
the mile in 2:04; in the same year Mascot paced the mile in 
the same time, and in 1893 Flying Jib and Algona both paced 
the mile in 2:04, both against time. 

Eye. One of the most beautiful organs of the horse and 
one giving a great insight into his disposition and character. 
It should be clear, the pupil black, the eyelids thin and com- 
paratively free from wrinkles. A small eye is usually regarded 
as indicating a sulky disposition, or one wanting in courage, 
and is called a " pig-eye." Horses which show a good deal of 
white in their eyes are almost invariably vicious in temper. It 
has long been observed that before a kicker makes ready to 
"let fly" behind, he uncovers a portion of the white of the eye 
— on the side to which the head is inclined. In normal condi- 
tion the eye of the horse usually shows but little of the white, 
except when it turns its head to the rear or inwards. The 
presence of deep hollows above the eyes is a defect, as it 
denotes that the horse is old and more or less worn out ; or 
that either its sire or dam was well advanced in years when it 
was bred — hence such a mark indicates that the horse is some- 
what wanting in vigor. It is thought by some that a reddish 
color to the white of the eye denotes a hardy constitution and 
staying power. When there is an absence of coloring matter 
to the eye, it is known as a wall or watch eye. 

[Law.] Any disease of the eye, even from the slig-htest cold or inflam- 
mation, iiiitil it is completely cured, or imtil it has terminated in 
total blindness, stamps the aiiinial as unsound. But while in some 
cases it has been decided that total blindness which does not unfit 
for work is only a bleniish; in others, as in case of race horses, 
blindness is classed as an unsoundness. 

The ^reat index of character is the eye, and if this be dull, or give fitful 
flashes of animation in the excitement of coming; on to tlie track, 
the horse will surely not be able to do what he oiight to do. I never 
saw a horse that the brilliancy of the eye was not heightened by 
proper training. It may not show as much briskness, as there is a 
placid look acquired which might de(;eive you at the first glance; 
but as you look again, there is no glossy, unmeaning stare, and you 
look down into the clear dei)ths"till you cannot but resolve that 
such an organ must belong to more than an animal, and that it is a 
token of a being endowed with that reason which we haughtily 
arrogate as only belonging to man. When the horse is led up to 
start in a race, this placid look is changed to one as determined as 
ever flashed from beneath the brow of ancient knight attempting 



88 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

deeds tliat would either heighten his renown to that of the great 
Arthur himself, or consign him to an honorable grave. A fuming, 
fretty horse, that rears, and pitches, and refuses to come to the 
score when the time to start has been signaled, has rarely the look 
I have attempted to describe. He is eitlier frightened at the remem- 
brance of unmerited punishment, or is so sore from over or injudi- 
cious work, that he does not like to start.— Horse Portraiture, Joseph 
Cairn Simpson. 
The eye is frequently regarded as the index of the animal's character, 
but I have been deceived so often by both kinds, the wild as well as 
the sulky looking, that I am now disposed to think it often over- 
estimated as a guide to future performances. — Dr. E. A. A. Grange, 
V. S., Michigan State College Experiment Station. 



Face. That part of the front of the horse's head from 
the eyes to the nostrils. 

Face of the Track. The surface of a track is called 
its face. 

Facing- the Flagr. Said of the horses in a running race 
when they come up for a start, as in the expression, " as fine a 
field as. ever faced the flag." 

False Quarter. A lesion of the foot similar to sand- 
crack in appearance, but caused by an interruption of the 
secreting process at the top of the hoof, which causes it to 
become soft and spongy ; a defect in the outer wall of the hoof. 
It is legal unsoundness. 

Fancy Match. A cross match pair or span of horses, 
where no attention is paid to having them of the same color; 
as, black and white, or bay and chestnut, according to the 
individual fancy of the owner. 

Farcy. Glanders. The two are one and the same dis- 
ease, differing only in that glanders is applied to the disease 
when the local lesions predominate in 'the internal organs, 
especially in the lungs and air tubes ; and that farcy is the term 
applied to the disease when the principal manifestation is an 
outbreak of the lesions on the exterior or skin of the animal. 
It is legal unsoundness. See Glanders. 

Far Turn. The turn on the back stretch of the course. 

Farrier. A word derived from the Latin Ferrum, mean- 
ing iron ; hence a worker in iron ; a smith who combines the 
art of horseshoeing with that of the veterinary profession. 
When the term was first applied it was a title of distinction, 
for very few had the skill necessary to be a successful farrier. 
It was a valuable gift, especially when the horse was so inval- 
uable and necessary an adjunct of war, and in those early 
days the gift was confined in certain families the members of 
which were royal favorites. It is said the noble earls of 
Ferrier or Ferrers had such an origin. 

Fashion. A famous racing mare of the early American 
turf. Bred by William Gibbons, Madison, N. Y. Foaled, 
April 26, 1837. By imported Trustee, by Catton; dam, 

89 



90 HAIJ^-DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Bonnets o' Blue, by Sir Charles out of Reality, by Sir Archy. 
Chestnut, with star, 15.2 hands high. Fine in every point 
with a wonderful muscular development. She defeated Boston 
in the great race on Union Course, Long Island, N. Y., May 
10, 1842, in a match for |20,000 a side; four mile heats — 
time of first heat 7:32|-; second heat, 7:45. 

Fashionably Bred. A term which has been rather 
promiscuously applied to a horse whose ancestors on both sides 
are of successful producing and prepotent blood, and of such 
breeding that his services and progeny meet with ready sale at 
high prices. But such a term is liable to many changes in its 
application, and often to some disappointment. It possesses 
little true significance. 

Fasig" Track. The kite track is often so called from 
the name of the person who built the first track of this kind 
in the United States, Mr. William B. Fasig of l^ew York. 

Father of the Turf. [Eng.] A term applied to 
Tregonwell Frampton, Esq., of Moreton, Dorsetshire, England, 
keeper of the running horses at New^market, to their majesties, 
William III, Queen Anne, George I, and George 11. He died 
March 12, 1727, aged 86 years. 

Favorite. The highest selling horse in a race; the 
horse most likely to win, in the opinion of the talent. 

Feather Weight. A feather weight is seventy-five 
pounds. 

Fee. The percentage of a purse paid by the person 
making an entry in such purse or race. The amount varies 
according to the rules. On the running turf, the fee to a 
jockey in all races not exceeding |500 to the winning horse, is 
$5 for a losing mount, and $15 for a winning mount; and in 
all other races in the absence of a special agreement, $10 for a 
losing mount, and |25 for a winning mount — this rule applying 
only to licensed jockeys. 

Felloe. The outside circle of a wheel, of wood, or iron, 
around which the tire is fixed, and to the inside of which the 
spokes of the wheel are fitted. In some sulky wheels they are 
made of sheet steel, crescent in shape, to receive the tubular 
pneumatic tire ; in others they are of wood, usually hickory. 

Felt. A material of which many patterns of horse boots 
are made. It is an unwoven fabric of wool, short hair, or wool 
and fur, matted together by pressure, heating, and beating. 
Its close, inseparable quality is due to the uniting of the ser- 
rated edges of the wool fibres with each other, which are then 
compressed under heat and moisture. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 91 

Fencer. [Eng.] A term applied to a horse that has been 
trained to jumping or taking fences. 

Feral. Unbroken. The colt, when untamed, is said to 
be in his feral state, or condition. 

Femur. The thigh bone. In the horse it is compara- 
tively short and stout, and placed very obliquely, the lower end 
advancing by the side of the body, and being so little detached 
from it that the knee-joint appears to belong as much to the 
trunk as to the limb. 

Fetlock. The joint which the cannon-bone makes with 
the pastern ; anatomically, the metacarpo-articulation. Fetlock 
signifies the tuft of hair growing behind the pastern joint, and 
also the joint itself, and the enlargement inade by the bones 
which form it. 

Fetter Bone. The great pastern or first phalangeal 
bone of the horse's foot, succeeded by the coronary and coffin 
bone and articulating with the cannon bone at the fetlock joint ; 
the proximal j^halanx. 

Fettle. Condition ; form ; in fine order, as, " he is in 

splendid fettle to-day." 

No animal ever came to the post in more superb fettle than Newmarket 
when lie won tlie St. Leger of 1851. — Tlie Badminton Library : Racing, 
Tlie Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Field. All the runners or trotters in any race; the 
horses in a race as opposed to the favorite. To "chop the 
field " is said of a horse that outstrips the rest, literally beats 
them. 

Field Marshal of Trainers. A term applied to the 
eminent driver, the late Hiram Woodruff. 

Fielders. Those who buy on the field in the pools, 
against the choicest or favorites. 

Fig-liting- the Bit. The action of the horse in train- 
ing, when dissatisfied with the bit or check, and becoming irri- 
tated by them ; he is then said to " fight the bit." 

Why some horses like an over-check and some a side-check, and ■why- 
certain bits must be used on certain horses, it is often hard to 
explain ; but the one fact confronting the trainer is tliat tlie moutli 
must be kept right, and the liead rigged witli clieclc and bit wJiich 
the horse will not resent and fight, If satisfactory results are to be 
accomplished.— Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Figliting- the Flag". A horse is said to be fighting the 
flag which is trying by hard work to save his distance ; that is, 
to get within the distance post before the flag drops. 

Fileree. The common or trivial name in California for 
a plant known as Alfierilla, erroneously called a '< grass." It 
grows rank and horses are very fond of it. Charles Marvin 



92 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

says : " I consider it far preferable to alfalfa for turf horses." 
It is the geranium, or Erodium cicutarium of botanists. 

Filemaker, A celebrated jumping horse owned by 
Madame Marantette, Mendon, Michigan. He jumped 7 ft., 
4:^ in., at Taunton, Mass., October 7, 1891, the highest jump 
ever made over the bars in public in the world. Filemaker 
stands 17 hands high, weighs 1,370 pounds and in making this 
jump carried 149 pounds. 

Filled. Leg". A term applied to an enlarged or swollen 
leg, and when from any cause a horse has a trouble like this, he 
is said to have a leg. Thus Charles Marvin says : '' Smuggler 
had a leg all through his campaign of 1876." 

Filly. A female colt or foal ; a young mare. 

Find tile Seat. [Eq.] This is a term used to express 
the acquiring of a firm, graceful, and proper seat in horseman- 
ship. An amateur who rides well is said to have " found the 
seat." 

Fine. A penalty or punishment imposed upon a rider, 
driver, or member, for a violation of rules. All fines are 
required to be paid on the day when imposed or when demanded, 
and are paid to the managers of the track, or member of the 
associations on whose grounds they were imposed, and by them 
paid to the National or American Association. Fines imposed 
by either association are recognized and enforced by the other, 
the same as though originally imposed by it. Fines paid to 
the American Turf Congress are held as a fund for the benefit 
of sick, superannuated, or injured trainers and jockeys in good 
standing in the Congress. 

Finish. The end of a heat or race. The finish is the 
most vital point of a race, and it is here that the driver should 
display his best judgment. The attention should never, even 
for an instant, be diverted from his horse, as inattention to the 
horse at the finish has lost many a race. 

Finislied. Used to describe a horse of fine form and 
condition, as perfect in every respect ; symmetrical ; without 
fault ; well finished. 

Firing- Iron; Cautery Iron. An instrument with 
which veterinary surgeons perform the act of cauterizing for 
sprains, wind-puffs, spavins, injured tendons, etc. The usual 
forms are line, point and needle surfaces — the former being 
used for superficial, and the latter for pyropuncture, or internal 
cauterizing. In the last named the needle attached to the iron 
is of platinum, nine-sixteenths of an inch long; and of the 
former there are various patterns. Internal or needle cauter- 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 93 

izing is of quite recent introduction, although surface firing is 
one of the oldest arts in veterinary practice. Percivall, the 
father of modern English veterinary science, said of it : " By 
the tiring irons have horses, originally worth their hundreds of 
pounds sterling, been raised from the knacker's price to their 
former value. By the iron has many a broken - down hunter, 
and many a racer, been joyously restored to his station and 
rank in the field, where his proudest laurels have been won." 
As to its value in modern practice The Horseman says : 
" Scarcely a string of campaigners goes home in the autumn 
without one or more of its members requiring a visitation of the 
firing iron. It is extraordinary that this efficacious adjunct to 
the veterinarian's kit of tools is not more generally used on the 
legs of light harness horses. Its benefits are lasting and it should 
often be resorted to as a preventive as well as a curative 
measure." 

Flagr, Dropping" the. The signal for the start in all 
English and most American running races ; also in shutting 
out horses at the distance post. 

Flagged Out. The steeple-chase courses from point to 
finish of a fair hunting country are always flagged out, or indi- 
cated by a series or line of flags marking the course to be run. 

Flagman. A distance judge. 

Flank. That part of the side of the horse which is free 
from bone and which thinly covers the intestines. Placed 
between the loins above, the ribs to the front, the thigh and 
point of the hip to the rear, and the belly below. 

Flat. [Eng.] The level part of a course, some parts of 

which are made on up and down grades. 

In a race across the flat Clincher gave six pounds and an easy beating 
to Compass.— The Badminton Library : Racing, tlie Earl of Suffolk 
and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Flat. A term sometimes used in announcing the time in 
a heat where there is no fraction, as 2:23 Jiat. But so used it 
is pedantic and has no significance. 

Flexor Tendon. A muscle whose function is to bend 
or produce flexion, as opposed to extensor. 

Flight. A single hurdle is called a " flight." 

Flighty. Said of a horse that is uncertain and not to be 
depended upon in a race ; unsteady. 

Float. A single-cut file for dressing the surface of the 
teeth. It is usually made adjustable, having a removable file 
and hinged joint, so that the face of the file will rest on the 
table of the teeth. 



94 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Float ; Flote. A light dressing-frame for finishing the 
face of a track. Usually made in sections twelve feet square, 
of 3 by 3 joist, the middle bar of which has two rows of sharp, 
fine teeth. Often three of these floats are attached together, 
one at the rear and outside of the other ; and the float and har- 
row are often combined in one. 

Floating". The act of rasping or filing the horse's teeth 
to give them a uniform and regular surface. When the teeth 
become irregular with ragged and sharp edges from uneven 
wearing, and they begin to cut and lacerate the cheeks on the 
inside, producing ulceration and inflammation, the horse does 
not gather or masticate his food properly, and is soon out of 
condition in consequence. To ascertain this, place the front 
finger of the right hand inside the horse's upper lip and shove it 
along his grinders of the upper jaw, and if they appear ragged 
and sharp on the inside corners, it is an indication that they 
should be repaired. 

Fly-float. One who really knows little or nothing about 
racing, but who fancies himself thoroughly initiated in all its 
mysteries. 

Fly the Track. When a horse in a race bolts instantly 
to one side, he is said to <' fly the track." 

Flyer. A fast horse. 

Foal. The young of the horse kind. 

Foot. The terminal part of the leg upon which the body 
rests. W^hile from the standpoint of the comparative anatomist 
the foot of the horse includes all the leg from the knee and 
hock down, what is called the foot being in reality the last 
joint of the toe ; from the standpoint of the practical horseman 
the foot is understood to mean the hoof. Its internal frame- 
work consists of the small pastern, or lower end of the coronet 
bone ; the coffin or pedal bone which is within the hoof, and 
the small sesamoid or navicular bone extending across the back 
part of the coffin-bone. In the rear of the hoof is the support- 
ing framework known as the elastic cushion or frog. Within 
this outward box or hoof the union of all the parts of the foot 
is secured by a series of from five to six hundred minute leaves, 
(laminae), a complete fibrous network of secreting surfaces, 
soft, yielding and tough, the whole forming one of the most 
wonderful pieces of mechanism found in the whole animal 
economy. A description of all the parts of the foot will be 
found under their several names in different parts of this work. 
The defects of the foot may be severally due to wrong propor- 
tions of conformation or axis, and of the quality of the horn. 
Thus the foot may be too large, too small, too narrow, unequal ; 



ha;n"dbook of the turf. 95 

it may be flat ; full ; pumiced ; having bunions ; and with high, 
low, or sloping heels ; it may be out-bowed ; club-foot ; cross- 
foot, or crooked ; the foot may be soft ; dry ; brittle, or have 
weak heels. The sound, healthy, perfect foot is by far the most 
important part of the animal, and its care should receive the 
closest and most intelligent attention. 

The unshod foot of a liorse on favorable soil and snfflclently exercised, 
is a type of beauty and i)eifection. Compared to The foot that lias 
been shod, it is lary^e, strong, as wide as long, and in proper equilib- 
rinni— it constitutes a solid support. Yiewv;"d in front it is narrower 
above than below, more exi^anded externallj than internally, and 
of equal height at its quarters. Viewed in i)r(jhle, The line of toe 
has a mean inclination of about fifty degrees for the fore, and sixty 
degrees for the hind feet ; the height of the heels is equal to at least 
one-half of the height of the toe. Viewed from behind, the heels 
of the standard foot are well separated, equal, of the same height, 
and fall vertically to the ground, especially the internal, which is 
sensibly more vertical than the external. Viewed from below, its 
sole is hollow and thick, the frog strong, healthy, and quite hard; 
the bars neither too high, sTraight, nor too much inclined; the toe 
and mammiie of the wall and the sole are perceptibly worn from 
usage. The horn of the sound foot is black or dark gVay; the wall 
smooth and shiny, showing its fibrous structure. Such are the 
characteristics of the virgin foot. —The Exterior of the Horse, Gou- 
baux and Barrier. 

In the manifestation of his strength and the due performance of his 
useful qualities the horse must rely upon the soundness of his feet, 
as in them are concentrated the efforts created elsewhere, and on 
them depend not only the sum total of these propulsive powers 
being properly expended, but also the solidity and just equilibrium 
of the whole animal fabric. Hence it is wisely considered that the 
foot of the horse is the most important part of all the locomotory 
system; and that all the splendid qualities possessed by the nobJe 
creature may be diminished in value or hopelessly lost, if through 
disease or accident, natural or acquired defects, or other causes, this 
organ fails to perform its allotted task. — Horse Shoes and Horse 
Shoeing, George Fleming, LL. D., F. R. C. V. S. 

Many persons believe that feet with dark colored horn are stronger and 
able to stand the w^ear and tear of hard work better than the light 
colored ones, but our experience has failed to demonstrate the truth 
of this idea. The white foot will show the invasion of the part 
by inflammation more perceptibly, -which we think is the cause of 
disease often being noticed in the white one when a similar com- 
plaint would, and often does, pass unnoticed in the dark colored 
foot.— Dr. E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan Agricultural College 
Experiment Station. 

Foot-board. An adjustable platform which is confined 
to the rear of a break cart, upon which the driver can step and 
ride, before he has stifficient confidence in his colt to warrant 
him in mounting the seat. AYhen not wanted it may be entirely 
removed. 

Foot-scald. An injury caused by paring the sole too 
close and then shoeing with light, thin shoes, causmg tender- 
ness in the foot. 

Force. That action between two bodies which changes 
or tends to change their relative condition as to rest or motion ; 
or which changes any physical relation between them. The 
power exerted by a horse in motion, whether in drawing a load 
or in the performance of great speed. 



96 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



The stronjiest propulsive force of either of the legs is given with the 
anterior one in each stride; indeed, it is so strong as to raise the 
center of gravity several inclies above the liorizontalline of motion. 
—The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stilhnan. 

If tlie horse's nose is thrown up in the air it gives him a force of resist- 
ance equal to two hundred pounds; this force will be reduced to 
one hundred pounds when the liand is brought halt way towards a 
perpendicular position; to fifty pounds when brought still nearer 
that position, and to nothing when perfectly placed. — Method of 
Horsemanship, F. Baucher. 

Forearm. That part of the fore leg between the shoulder 
and the knee. It is generally conceded that long arms, com- 
paratively speaking, are found in horses of great speed ; and 
countless measurements by experts appear to indicate that in 
general the length of the arm is greater in the roadster than in 
the draft horse. 

Forehead. The upper part of the face. It extends down 
to a line joining the inner angle' (canthus), of each eye, and 
reaches as high as the forelock and base of the ears. 

Forehead Band. That part of the bridle which forms 
the browband or front, and goes across the horse's forehead. 

Fore Lteg; Fore Limb. The anterior or forward legs 
of the horse. All the joints of the fore leg from the shoulder 
downwards are simply hinge-joints, allowing free fore-and-aft 
flexion and extension, but scarcely any movement in any other 
direction. Some authorities regard the fore legs as weight- 
bearers, only; while others believe they have important func- 
tions as propellers. 

Many have an opinion that the fore legs are merely supporters, like 
tiie spokes of a wheel. An English writer asserts that their only 
functions are to support the center of gravity and keep out of the 
way of the propellers; the hind legs. But the best authorities say 
that they are not oidy supports, but act as propellers in turn, 
although the anterior ones do the greater share of this work. — The 
Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Forelock. A tuft of hair which lies between the ears, 
and is a continuation of the mane. It naturally falls over the 
forehead between the eyes. 

Foreign Horse. A foreign horse is regarded by the 
rules of the American Turf Congress, as one foaled out of the 
United States. No such horse can start in any race until proper 
certificates stating his age, pedigree, color, and other marks by 
which it may be identified, have been produced by its owner to 
the satisfaction of the association or racing club. 

Forfeits. A forfeit is that to which the right is lost by 
one's own act or failure to act, or by a breach of conditions. 
By the trotting law failure to appear in all stakes and matches, 
refusal to answer protest, fraudulent entry, and collusion to 
violate published conditions of race, constitute forfeits. For- 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUBF. 97 

feit money is not released by the death of the horse engaged. 
By the rules of the Tui-f Congress owners and horses may be 
suspended for non-payment of forfeits ; no horse can start in a 
race against which a forfeit order is lodged until it is paid, and 
if any transfer is made for the pm^pose of avoiding payment of 
forfeit orders or any disqualification, the person making and 
receiving such transfers may be fined or ruled off. 

Forge ; Forging". Overreaching ; clicking. The act by 
which the horse strikes the fore shoe, or heel or quarter of the 
fore foot, with the toe of the shoe of its hind foot, by reason of 
the fore feet not being taken up quickly enough when the horse 
is in motion. It rarely occurs except when the horse is going 
fast, and is most common w^ith running and trotting horses, gen- 
erally taking place when the animal breaks from a trot to a run. 
It is due to defective conformation or faulty shoeing. In the 
former case the stifle is generally set straight and the toes of 
their hind feet are inclined inward. To overcome this defect 
the action in front should be quickened. For this purpose use 
a scoop-toe rolling-motion shoe forward, beveled on the inside, 
with most of the weight in the toe, concaving the shoe on the 
ground surface in order that the hind foot may not strike under 
the toe when the foot is lifted. By shortening the toe of the 
fore foot it will be assisted in getting over early, and thus pass 
out of the way of the hind member. The shoe on the front 
feet should be short, so as to have as little ground surface as 
possible. 

Forks. The upright guards or supports of the wheel to 
the pneumatic sulky, which extend from the ends of the axle- 
cone to the axle of the sulky. In a sulky which has been 
changed over from a high wheel to a " bike," they form the 
upright supports connecting the axle-cone of the wheel to the 
axle-socket of the sulky. With the braces which extend from 
the lower end of the forks to the thill or shaft, they form the 
support to the wheel and act as a guard in which the wheel 
plays. 

Form. Condition ; spirit ; appearance. When it is said 
that a horse is in fine form it is meant that he is in excellent 
condition for his work or performance ; and loss of the trotting 
or racing form is due to excessive racing or repeated fast heats. 
The word form is also used to denote age, as " in his three-year- 
old form," etc. 

When we say that a horse is in form vre intend to convey the idea that 
he is in higli condition and fit to rnn. So, again, the word is nsed in 
still anotlier sense ; for we speak of a liorse's form when we wish to 
allude to his power on the turf, as compared with other well known 
animals. Thus, if it be supposed tliat two three-year-olds, carrying 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 



the same weight, would rxm a mile and a half and come in abreast, 
it is said that the form of one is equal to that of the other. — The 
Horse in the Stable and Field, J. H. Walsh. 

Foul. The act of violating any rule or established usage ; 
irregular or disorderly conduct ; the act of fouling, colliding, or 
otherwise impeding one's motion or progress in a race ; improper 
riding or driving. The trotting rules punish all offenses com- 
ing under the head of fouls, by fine, suspension, or expulsion ; 
fouls applying to any act of a fraudulent nature, and to any 
unprincipled conduct such as tends to debase the character of 
the turf in the estimation of the public. Judges only notice or 
consider complaints of fouls which are reported by the distance 
flagman and patrol judges, and from owners, riders, or drivers 
in a race. By the rules of the Turf Congress persons guilty 
of foul riding are ruled off the course. 

Foul Riding; Foul Driving". Any act on the part 
of driver or rider in a race which interferes with, or impedes 
the progress of another horse, causing him to change his course 
or shorten his stride, when by so doing an unfair advantage is 
gained. In such cases the offending horse is not given the heat, 
but is placed behind all the unoffending horses in the heat. 
Such acts are punishable by fine, suspension, or expulsion, 
according to the discretion of the judges. By the laws of the 
Turf Congress expulsion from riding for life is always the pun- 
ishment for preventing a horse from winning in steeple chase 
and hurdle races, or in a clear case of fraud. 

Founder ; Chest Founder. See Laminitis. 

Four-in-Hand. A team of four horses matched or 
harnessed for the purpose of being driven to a single vehicle. 
At Cleveland, Ohio, in September, 1882, the four-in-hand of 
Mr. W. J. Gordon trotted a mile in 2:26, and then repeated it 
in 2:28. This is probably the most remarkable performance of 
the kind that was ever made in the world. 

Fox-trot. The gait of a horse which is a modification 
of the true trot. While it is not a true diagonal motion it 
departs from it simply in the fact that the fore foot touches the 
ground slightly in advance of the diagonal hind foot. It is, 
perhaps, the slowest of the distinctive or artificial saddle gaits, 
but it is above all others an all-day gait, and a horse possessing 
it to perfection will no doubt make a longer journey from sun- 
rise to sunset, under saddle, than at any other gait, and at night 
neither horse nor rider will be seriously tired. The rate of 
speed is from six to seven miles an hour. The horse when 
going at this gait should always be ridden with a loose rein, 
as he generally carries his head low. [Local: Kentucky; 
Tennessee. 



HAiTDBOOK OF THE TURF. 99 

Foxhall. The famous American horse which won the 
French Derby, the Grand Prix of Paris, and the Grand Duke 
Michael stakes ; also the Cesarewitch and Cambridgeshire handi- 
caps at Ascot Heath, England, in 1881. By King Alfonso, by 
Phaeton, (sire of Ten Broeck, who, in his day, lowered the 
records at one, two, three, and four miles) ; dam, by Lexington 
Owned by Mr. Pierre Lorrillard, and at the head of the Belle 
Meade stud, Tennessee. In the great double event at Ascot, 
gave away weights to nearly every notable horse of his age in 
England, and some Derby winners of former years were behind 
him at the finish. In seven times Foxhall won as a three-year- 
old, £10,870. 

Foxy. A term used to describe oats which have been 
heated in bulk when not perfectly dry and undergone fermen- 
tation to some extent. They have a pink, or reddish color, an 
unpleasant smell, and a bitter taste. When given to horses 
they act injm'iously upon the kidneys causing diabetes and loss 
of condition. 

Frank Forrester. The pen name, or nom de plume, by 
which Henry William Herbert, a celebrated ^^iter on horses 
and horsemanship, is best known in the United States. He 
was born in London, Eng., April 7, 1807, and died at Xew 
York, May 17, 1858. His magnificent work on the " Horse and 
Horsemanship of the United States and British Provinces of 
ISTorth America," forms a fitting monument to his genius and 
ability ; while his smaller and thoroughly practical books are 
yet regarded as trustworthy guides in every stable. 

Free-for-all. A sweepstakes race open to all horses. 

Free Handicap. A race in which no liability is 
incurred for entrance money, stake or forfeit, until acceptance 
of the weight allotted, either by direct acceptance or omission 
to declare out. 

Free Track. Any track or course not in membership 
with the Xational or American trotting associations, where no 
rules are enforced, and where an expelled man can trot his 
horses as well as any man not expelled, is termed a "free track." 

Frog. The triangular buffer which is in the center of the 
ground surface of the hoof, so called because when untouched 
by the knife it bears some resemblance to a crouching frog. 
The frog is divided into two equal parts by a deep fissure, 
extending from its apex in front to the base. The horn of the 
frog is produced in the same manner as the sole, but it differs 
from both the wall and sole, in that the horn is soft, moist, and 
elastic to a remarkable degree. There was an old opinion that 



100 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF, 

■ i 
the frog was intended as a protection to the inner part of the 
foot, and that it ought not, therefore, to touch the ground. 
This led to the practice of making the heel of the shoe high in 
order to protect the frog ; but now the shoe is so set that the 
frog is allowed to touch the ground, its true function being to 
destroy the shock of concussion and prevent slipping. 

Tlie fvog, on both hard and soft ground, is an essential portion of the 
■weight-hearing face. In tlie unshod, l)ealthy foot it always projects 
hey*)nd the level of the sole, and seldom below that of the wall at 
the heels; indeed, it is found, in the majority of hoofs, either on a 
level with tlie circumference of this part, or beyond it, so that its 
contact with the ground is assured. Hence its utility in obviating 
concxxssion, supporting the tendons, and, on slii)pery giound, in 
preventing falls. In pulling \\p a horse sharply in the gallop, or in 
descending a steep hill, the frog, together with the angular recess 
formed by the bar and wall at the heel of the hoof, are eminently 
serviceable in checking the tendency to slip; the animal instinc- 
tively plants the posterior portions of the foot exclusively on the 
ground.— Horse Shoes and Horse Shoeing", George Fleming, LL. D., 
M. R. C. V. S. 

[Law.] Until the frogs become bad or troublesome, or the heels become 
tender or fleshy, they should not be considered an unsoundness; 
but when the original structure of the frog has become so altered as 
to be perpetually tender, rendering the horse liable to tlrop at any 
step, he IS then unsound. — The Law of Horses, M. U. Hanover. 

Full Blood. An animal of pure blood. Usually syn- 
onymous with thoroughbred, although it is far from correct to 
so use the term as applied to horses. 

Full Mouth. At from four and a half to five years of 
age the horse has what is termed a "full mouth," that is to say 
— the mouth is complete ; the incisive arch is semicircular and 
regular in shape ; the temporary teeth or nippers are all shed ; 
all the permanent teeth have reached the same level, and while 
the anterior borders of the corner teeth are completely worn, 
the posterior borders are not yet worn. 

Fullering". That crease in the lower face of a horseshoe 
in which the nail holes are placed ; often called " twitcheling." 

Furlong:. A measure of length equal to the eighth part 
of a mile; forty rods, poles or perches; two hundred and 
twenty yards. 

Furnishings. The appointments of a stable pertaining 
to the horse and his service, embracing harness, saddles, cloth- 
ing, robes, whip, bridles, boots, bandages, sponges, and stable 
tools, but not including vehicles. See Devices. 

Furniture. The fixtures to a riding saddle, including 
stirrups, girths, and surcingle with steel bridge. 

Futurity; Futurity Stakes. A future event. A 
term applied to stakes to be decided in the remote future, gen- 
erally speaking from one to three years after the event is opened 
for entries ; and the usual custom is to call such stakes, espe. 
cially where opened for young horses, " futurity stakes." 



Gaining" Break. A break made purposely, or one by 
which the horse makmg it gains in space on his contending 
horse ; one by which the horse loses nothing in space in mak- 
ing it, and yet gains something by change of muscular action. 
When a horse breaks in a heat the driver is required to at once 
pull him to the gait prescribed for the race, but should the 
horse gain by this action, twice the distance so gained is taken 
from him, by the judges, at the finish. 

G-ait. The manner of walking or stepping ; motion ; the 
name given to the diverse modes in which progression is accom- 
plished by the play of the locoraotory members, or legs. The 
gaits are: 1, natural; 2, acquired. The former are the walk, 
trot, gallop, and at times the pace (amble), and the running 
walk ; the latter are the amble, broken amble, running walk 
and racing gallop. Different names are often given to these 
various motions, as the rack for the pace ; and some are known 
by other terms in local sections, as the fox-trot for the running 
walk, which is common in some of the Southern States. Accord- 
ing to the forms which they assume the gaits may be described 
as : Beautiful — when they are energetic, regular, extended, har- 
monious, elegant. Defective — when they produce weakness and 
require great exertion. Diagonal — when the members in 
executing them move or succeed one another as diagonal bipeds, 
as the trot, the walk, the gallop. Easy — when they satisfy and 
accommodate the rider by their graceful motion. Free — when 
the motion is accomplished without undue effort. Hard — 
when they fatigue the rider by the violence of their reactions. 
Heavy — if the percussions of the feet are violent and resound- 
ing. High-strained — when the members are greatly flexed with- 
out passing over much distance. Lateral — when they evolve 
themselves by lateral instead of diagonal bipeds, as in ambling, 
racking. Light — if the percussion of the feet upon the earth 
produces little sound. Long, elongated — when their strides are 
as extensive as possible. Low — when the displacements of the 
body from the earth are slight. Reacting — when they are not 
only high but impress the center of gi-avity with strong, verti- 
cal displacements which separate the body from the ground at 
each step. Regular — when, for each gait, the evolution of the 
members and their manner of association obey the principles 

101 



102 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

of scientific analysis. Repeated — if the movements succeed 
each other with excessive rapidity, with or without an increase 
in speed. Short — when their strides are cramped and narrow. 
Strong — when the action is rapid, energetic, easy, high, extended 
and rhythmical. Uniform — resulting from equal length of 
steps. 

Gait, Keg-istering- tlie. The methods of registering 
the motions of the horse known to science are called the 
graphic, hydrostatic, electrical, and photographic. M. Marey, 
principal of the College de France, was one of the first to study 
the locomotion of the horse by means of what he termed the 
graphic method. This was done by means of compressed air 
in two drums or metallic cases, each closed above by a rubber 
membrane to which was fixed a lever capable of executing to 
and fro vertical movements. These drums were connected by 
rubber tubes. When filled with air the pressure exercised upon 
one forced the air through the tube into the other drum, whose 
lever and membrane it elevated, and when the pressure ceased 
it relapsed. Hence this unity of action transmitted movements. 
These drums were again connected with a cylinder covered by 
a layer of smoked paper, which was made to turn regularly by 
clockwork. This moved a registering needle by which the 
least displacement left its trace upon the paper. The paper 
retained the tracing of vertical undulations corresponding to 
the pressure transmitted to the registering apparatus by the 
concussion and contact of the hoofs upon the ground — four 
recording needles corresponding to the four feet of the horse, 
each foot being provided with an India rubber pneumatic bulb, 
so that with each step the bulb was compressed, forcing a portion 
of the air into the registering drum or cylinder. When the foot 
was raised the bulb again became filled with the air which was 
expelled from the other when it resumed its original form. 
This device was not always practical in its operations, and 
M. Marey next invented a leather bracelet which was attached 
to the ankle of the horse, and upon which was a rubber bulb, 
and by an ingenious arrangement of copper plates and lead 
balls connected it by transmission tubes to a registry drum 
carried in front of the rider on the saddle, by which means the 
concussions were registered. He followed this with another 
invention which consisted of electric needles and conducting 
wires by means of which an apparatus closed and opened an 
electric current during the contacts and elevations of the horse's 
feet, and hence the notations of gait were obtained and regis- 
tered. The hydrostatic method of registering the gaits in man 
was invented by H. Vierordt, and applied to the study of the 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 103 

gaits of the horse by M. L. Hoffman of Berlin, in 1887. The 
plan was to lay down white paper, over which the horse trav- 
eled. Attached to the external side of each hoof was a brass 
tube connected by means of a rubber tube along the legs to a 
reservoir placed in front of the rider upon the horse's withers. 
When the hoof touched the paper the pointed end of the brass 
tube, projecting downwards, deposited a small pool of colored 
liquid from the reservoir above, discoloring the paper. Thus 
the gait was registered by lengths. It is understood that 
M. Hoffman employed photography to obtain the positions of 
the legs when in motion. The electrical device of M. Marey 
was perfected in 1889 by Armand Goubaux and Gustave Bar- 
rier, professors in the Veterinary School of Alfort, and Central 
and National Society of Agriculture of France. By the use of 
a very ingenious instrument they succeeded in registering the 
gaits of the horse by electricity. So long as the horse's foot is 
in the air the two points of contact touch each other and com- 
plete the cm-rent ; but as soon as the hoof touches the ground 
they are separated and interrupt it. At each rising and rest- 
ing of the foot it is again closed and broken. This closing and 
breaking being instantaneous, and, moreover, the force of the 
spring and the projection of the leg being capable of modifica- 
tion at will, it is easy to give to this apparatus great strength 
yet with all the precision and sensibity desired. In short it is 
able to register with the utmost accuracy the periods of the 
change of contact, the rhythm of the beats, and the number, 
nature, and diverse bases of the complete step of any gait nor- 
mal or pathological. By far the most complete and satisfac- 
tory method of registering the gait of the horse in motion is that 
of photography, originated by the late Hon. Leland Stanford of 
Palo Alto, California. Mr. Stanford had for many years enter- 
tained the opinion that by the use of the camera, instantaneous 
pictures could be obtained which would show the actual posi- 
tion of the limbs of the horse at each stride and in different 
gaits. In order to put this idea to a practical test, Mr. Stanford 
employed Mr. Eadweard L. Muybridge, a very skilKul photog- 
rapher of San Francisco, to institute experiments to this end. 
These were commenced in 1872, but were quite inconclusive in 
their results, and it was not until 1877 that Mi. Muybridge 
again took up the task, making his trials with a single camera. 
Subsequently the number of cameras was increased to twelve, 
which were arranged in a building, at intervals of twenty-one 
inches, with double shutters to each, which were opened by 
means of a machine constructed somewhat upon the principle 
of a Swiss music box, the arrangement being such that the 



104 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 

\ 

whole series of exposures was made in the time occupied by a 
single complete stride of the horse. A difl&culty was experi- 
enced in setting the apparatus in motion at the exact time 
required, and to regulate it to correspond to the speed of the 
horse. Accordingly, in later experiments, the following method 
was devised to better represent the gaits of the horse, because 
operated by his own movement. On the side of the track 
opposite the building where the cameras were placed, a wooden 
frame was erected, about fifty feet long, and fifteen high, at a 
suitable angle, and covered with white cotton sheeting divided 
by vertical lines into spaces of twenty-one inches, each space 
being consecutively numbered. Eighteen inches in front of this 
background was placed a baseboard twelve inches high, and on 
which were drawn longitudinal lines four inches apart. In front 
of this baseboard a strip of wood was fastened to the ground upon 
the top of which wires were secured at an elevation of about one 
inch above the ground and extending across the track. The wire 
was exposed in a groove to one only of the wheels of the sulky, 
being protected from contact with the horse's feet and the other 
•vrheel. Each wire was held in proper tension by a spring on the 
back of the baseboard, so arranged that when the wire crossing 
the track was depressed by the wheel it should draw upon the 
spring connected with it, and make contact with a metallic but- 
ton and complete the electric current. These wires were placed 
at distances from each other corresponding with the cameras on 
the opposite side of the track, and with the spaces between the 
lines drawn on the background. Thus it will be seen that 
the depression of the first wire would complete the circuit and 
cause the magnet connected with the corresponding camera to 
move the latch and liberate the shutters, exposing the sensitive 
plate for a space of time, calculated by Mr. Muybridge at not 
more than the five-thousandth part of a second. In like man- 
ner, as the wheel passed over the second wire, the shutters 
would be liberated on the second camera, and so on until the 
whole series was discharged. This method was used in all 
experiments where horses were driven to sulkies ; but when the 
wheels were not used this arrangement with wires under the 
track was modified, and a thread was drawn across sufficiently 
high to come in contact with the horse's breast, and strong 
enough to cause the contact and establish the circuit as before. 
The number of cameras was afterwards increased to twenty- 
four and they were placed at intervals of twelve inches to still 
closer analyze the movements of the horse. " These experi- 
ments," say the authors of the Exterior of the Horse, Messrs. 
Goubaux and Barrier, "effected a veritable revolution in the 



HAi;rDBOOK OP ffHE TURF. 105 

world of physiologists and artists." In 1889, M. Ottomar Ans- 

chiitz of Lissa, Germany, somewhat modified and improved 

upon Mr. Muybridge's method, which was again improved by 

M. Marey at Paris, in 1882 ; and by Marey and Pages at 

Paris in 1887. In 1879 Messrs. Vincent and Goilfon of the 

Alfort Veterinary School, Paris, applied the music notation to 

the scientific representation of the gaits of the horse ; which 

was afterwards improved by M. Marey, and also by M. Lenoble 

du Tiel, in 1887. 

These efforts are all in the direction of obtaining the accurate position 
and times of the gait of the horse. The animal has been always 
represented in an unnatural and false attitude, and in conditions 
of impossible equilibrium by artists and sculptors. Little by little 
tlie cause of equine realism will triumpli over tlie old convention- 
alism whicli censures with disdain the innovators wlio assume the 
liberty of announcing its errors to the world.— The Exterior of the 
Horse, Goubaux and Barrier. 

Gaited Horse. A saddle horse ; a horse having the 
walk-trot-canter gaits, (including the w^alk, trot, rack, canter, 
running walk, fox trot, or slow pace), to perfection ; a combi- 
nation horse. See Saddler ; Kentucky Saddler ; National 
Saddle Horse Breeders' Association. 

Col. Dodge had a Kentucky horse whicli could walk flat-footed four and 
a half miles an hour'; could running-walk five and a half; rack 
seven ; single-foot up to twelve, and in harness or under saddle trot 
a forty gait as squarely as any horse ever shod. — Kentucky Farmers' 
Home Joiirnal. 

Gaiter. A device for trueing the gait ; giving a steady, 
even, and quick motion, lengthening the stride, preventing a 
sidewise gait, breaking, bucking, or bolting, inducing correct 
knee action, and teaching the horse to travel wide. There 
are several different patterns. They are easily attached and 
adjusted ; light in weight, and adapted for both slow and fast 
work. 

Gaittng' Bar ; Gaiting- Pole. A padded pole attached 
to the sulky, inside the shaft, for the purpose of keeping the 
body of the horse in straight line when in motion. One end is 
made fast near the point of the shaft, or to the shaft holder, 
and the other to the cross-bar above the whipple-tree or just 
under the sulky seat. 

Gaiting" Strap. A strap of strong leather, usually cov- 
ered with sheepskin, attached to a sulky in the same manner 
as the gaiting bar, and for the same purpose. 

Gaiting" Wheel. A device for keeping the horse 
straight in the shafts, and for preventing hitching and side- 
wise action. It consists of a short metal arm attached to the 
shaft by means of an adjustable loop and set-screw, on which, 
plays a small wheel, which, when the horse goes to one side, 
presses against the flank, causing him to straighten the gait. 



lOO HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Gallop. The leaping or springing gait or movement in 
which the two fore feet are lifted from the ground in succession, 
and then the two hind feet in the same succession. The term is 
commonly used to denote the movement intermediate between 
the canter and the run, in which during the stride, two, three, 
or all the feet are off the ground at the same instant. 

In the gallop the horse is supposed to be moving by a succession of 
bounds in wliich lie rises as far as he falls. This would give one- 
fourth of a second as the time of descent equal to one foot of ver- 
tical fall to twelve and a half feet movement in a horizontal direc- 
tion, and a consequent deflection of the center of gravity to that 
extent.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

This gait is wholly and radically different from the pace and trot; the 
order of action, and, necessarily, the mental organization govern- 
ing the method of locomotion and use of tlie limbs are different. 
Hence no one liorse is, or can be, possessed of great speed at the 
gallop, and also great speed at the trot or pace. To possess great 
speed of either one of these two orders he must inherit speed of 
that order.— Leslie E. Macleod. 

The gallop is a fast gait, with three beats, and leaped, in which the 
synchronous beats of a diagonal biped are interposed between the 
successive beats of the opposite diagonal biped, which begins the 
step by its posterior member. The simultaneous beats of the second 
contact witli the ground, (second biped), have the greatest tendency 
to become disassociated when tlie horse moves almost without 
advancing, when the equilibrium is bad, or when tlie speed is very 
great. In this case the ear can perceive four distinct beats. On 
the race course the gallop is an externally fast gait in which this 
separation of the diagonal beats is driven to its utmost limit. — The 
Exterior of the Horse, Goubaux and Barrier. 

Galloping Courses. [Eng.] Courses devoid of obsta- 
cles like ditches, hedges, etc. 

Gamy. Spirited ; possessing undaunted courage. It is 
said of a courageous, spirited, staying horse, that he is " gamy ; " 
will never quit. 

Garter of the Turf. [Eng.] A term applied to the 
Oaks stakes, established in 1779. See Oaks. 

Gaskin. That part of the exterior of the horse situated 
between the thigh and the hock, from which it is divided by a 
line drawn from the point of the hock, clear of the bony promi- 
nences of the joint. 

Gathering". [Eq.] That art by which the rider, having 
mounted his horse, taken the reins in hand, is square upon his 
seat and his legs in position, collects all the forces of the horse 
in readiness for the execution of his will. By gathering or col- 
lecting, the horse is kept well upon his haunches, is guarded 
from crossing his legs, and has, all the time, as the phrase is, " a 
spare leg " to depend upon. The gathering, urging, and retain- 
ing, are the foundations of that obedience which it is the object 
of horsemanship to enforce. 

Gelding. A male horse that has teen castrated. 



HAJfDBOOK OF THE TURF. 107 

Gentlemen's Driving Race. A race open to horses 
kept for driving purposes only, driven by their non-professional 
owners, to road carts. 

Gentling". A word used to denote the first acts of train- 
ing, handling, and educating the colt. The term is one which 
should enforce the importance of gentleness in the first lessons 
of colt education, as bad habits come from bad early training, 
or first wrong impressions. 

Gestation. The act of carrying or being with young. 
The period of gestation with the mare is eleven months ; but 
tables show the shortest period to be 322 days ; the longest 
period, 419 days ; the mean period, 347 days. Kecords also 
show that three hundred mares went an average period of 343 
days, with a range of sixty-one days between the shortest, (309 
days), and the longest, (370 days), period. 

Gift. [Law.] In order to legally transfer a horse by 
gift, the animal must be actually delivered to the donee. 

Girdles. Used to denote that structural part of the 

anatomy of the horse by means of which the limbs or locomo- 

tory members are attached to the trunk. 

These girdles are so called because a pair of them, when completely- 
developed, nearly encircle the body ; but it must be admitted tliat it 
is not a very liappy expression, as, except through the intervention 
of the vertebral column, they never form complete circles, and very 
often the "semi-girdles" of each side are widely separated both 
above and below. Tliese semi-girdles are som^etimes called arclies. — 
The Horse, William Henry Flower, C. B. 

Girth. A leather strap passing under the belly of a 
horse for the purpose of securing the saddle or a part of the 
harness in place. The main saddle girth should be broad and 
soft with a reinforced backing. 

Girth Line. A line encircling the body of a horse at a 
point just back of the withers, and four inches back of the fore 
legs. 

Give and Take. An old term used to describe a race 
in which horses carried weight according to their height. The 
standard height was taken at fourteen hands, and the horse 
that height was obliged to carry nine stone, (126 pounds). 
Seven pounds were taken from the weight for every inch below 
fourteen hands, and seven pounds added for every inch above 
fourteen hands. A few pounds additional weight was regarded 
as so serious a matter, that it was said seven pounds in a mile 
race was equivalent to a distance. 

Give Him a Repeat. A term used in working a horse 
when he is given a dash of two miles, the words meaning an 
exercise of a mile and repeat. 



108 HAI^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Given the Needle. It is said of a horse that has been 
doped or drugged, that he has been " given the needle "—mean- 
ing an injection by means of a hypodermic needle. 

Glanders. The most loathsome disease to which the 
horse is subject. It was described by Greek veterinarians as 
early as A. D. 381, and in 1682, an accurate account of the 
nature of the disease was published by Sallysel, the stable mas- 
ter of Louis XIV., of France. Glanders is characterized by a 
peculiar deposit with ulceration, on the membrane of the nose 
and in the lungs ; and farcy — which is one and the same dis- 
ease modified by the cause which originates them — ^by deposits 
of the same material and ulcerations of the lymphatics of the 
skin. The former is the more active form of the disorder ; the 
latter is the slow type fastening upon general debility. Each 
has its acute and chronic form, the former usually resulting 
from inoculation, and is always fatal — there is no known cure. 
Dr. James Law says the treatment in all its forms and of acute 
farcy with open sores, " should be legally prohibited because of 
the danger to man as well as animals." Always consult a vet- 
erinary inspector or official commissioner. It is without doubt 
the worst form of unsoundness in horses. 

[Law.] Tlie moment that symptoms of glanders appear in a horse — 
indications of the ineipiency of the disease — tiiat is, if he really 
have the seeds of it in him, he is unsound, although it may be some 
time before the disease becomes fully developed in its niost offen- 
sive conditions, and it is the future history of the case which is to 
show whether it was the glanders or not. — Massachusetts Reports, 
10 Gushing, (1857), 520. 

Glomes of the Frog. The rounded projections or 
ends of the branches of the frog are called the glomes, forming 
the lower part of the heels. 

Gloves. In the steel protected driving gloves the fingers 
are protected by small, flat steel staples. The gloves always con- 
tinue soft and pliable, and they are very strong and durable. 

G. X. H. [Eng.] The letters signify Grand National 
Hunt, a steeple chase run over different courses each year. 

Go. The magic word that starts all the horses of the 
trotting field ; one for which drivers listen with intense desire 
as it gives them the right to a fair race and no favor. 

Go as They Please. A race in which it is held that 
the performance shall be in harness, to wagon or under the 
saddle ; but after the race is commenced no change can be 
made in the manner of going, and the race is held to have com- 
menced when the horses appear on the track. 

Go to Pieces. A horse that is unmanageable in a race 
or heat, is unsteady, flighty, acts badly, and will not settle to a 
gait, is said to " go to pieces." 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 109 

Go With His Horse. A phrase signifying that the 
rider should give himself up completely to the motion and 
spirit of his horse, on the great strides of the finish. 

Godolpliin Arabian. One of the three famous horses 
upon which rests the foundation of the modern English thor- 
oughbred. He was a brown bay, stood about 15 hands high, 
with an unusually high crest, arched almost to a fault. He was 
probably foaled about 1724 ; and although called an Arabian, 
was unquestionably a Barb. Said to have been imported into 
England from France, and it is said he had actually been in use 
as a cart horse in the streets of Paris, from which ignoble posi- 
tion he was rescued by Mr. Coke, who presented him to Mr. 
Williams, keeper of the St. James Coffee House, by whom he 
was presented to Lord Godolphin, hence his name. He died at 
Gogmagog, Cambridgeshire, in 1753, being, as is supposed, in 
his twenty-ninth year. Despite his unknown blood and breed- 
ing, it is generally conceded that he contributed more to the 
quality of the thoroughbred horse, than any other stallion 
either before or since his time. 

Going" for the Gloves. Betting with utter disregard 
to means of payment. 

Going- Within Himself. When a horse is making 

high speed with perfect ease, he is said to be *' going within 

himself." 

Gameness and condition and all that won't prevail over a competitor 
tliat can tlirow dust in your eyes while going within himself. — 
Training the Trotting Horse, Cliarles Marvin. 

Good Breaker. A horse so trained that he recovers 
quickly in breaking ; one which instantly settles to his gait 
after a 'misstep in which he breaks. 
"VVedgewood was a good breaker. — Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Good Day, Good Track. When a match is made 
" good day, good track," it means that all the conditions must 
be favorable or the race will not take place. Not only must 
the weather be fair but the track also must be in good condi- 
tion. Even if the day be pleasant, and a rain on the previous 
day has rendered the track soft or unfit for the race, the match 
cannot occur. 

Good Hands. [Eq.] Good hands in horsemanship 

may be described as the happy art of using the reins so as to 

restrain the horse by delicate manipulation and not by mere 

hauling at the mouth, and to enable the rider to conform to 

the movements of his mount in the best possible manner. 

A very essential requisite in every man, in order to become a good 
horseman and rider, is the quality known as good hands; without 
this, most bits on awkward horses are ineifectual. Good hands with 



110 HAKDBOOK OF THE TURF. ' 

almost any kind of bit, providing the horse gets a good amount of 
woi-k, will generally have tlie effect of making liim go quietly in 
time. — The Practical Horse Keeper, George Fleming, LL.D., V.S. 
A light, yet firm, an elastic, yet steady hand on the rein is what is 
wanted. — Charles MarviJi. 

Goodwood Races. So called from Goodwood Park, 
the seat of the Duke of Richmond, in which they are held. 
The park is in Sussex, three miles from Chichester, Eng. The 
races begin the last Tuesday in July of each year, and continue 
four days, in which Thursday, which is called Cup Day, is the 
principal. These races, being held in a private park, are very 
select and are admirably managed. Goodwood Park was pur- 
chased by Charles, First Duke of Richmond, of the Compton 
family, then resident in the village of East Lavant, and the 
races were begun by the Duke, who died in 1806. 

Gr. m. These letters in a summary or list of entries 
following the name of a horse, signify gray mare. 

Grain Burnt; Burnt Up. Said of a horse in a 
shrunken, fevered, pinched condition, which has been caused by 
having been fed too much grain ; the result of forced feeding 
of grain and too little hay ; especially noticeable among horses 
kept in city stables. It is very seldom that the condition is due 
to constitutional defect. 

Grand Circuit. A term applied to the great American 
trotting circuit which includes N'ew York, Springfield, Buffalo, 
Rochester, Utica, Cleveland, Pittsburg, Detroit, and other cities, 
changes in the number being due from year to year to local 
causes. Originally called the Grand Central Circuit. 

Grease ; Canker ; Scratches. A specific affection of 
the heels of horses, associated with the growth of a parasitic 
fungus ; an offensive discharge from the numerous oil-glands, 
and often the formation of red, raw excrescences from the sur- 
face known as grapes. " It is," says Dr. Edward Mayhew, M. 
R. C. V. S., in his important work on the diseases of the horse, 
" a disgrace to every person connected with the building in 
which it occurs ; it proves neglect in the proprietor, and want 
of fitness or positive idleness in the groom." Until cured, grease 
is an unsoundness. 

Great Trochanter. A muscle situated in the haunches 

whose office is to give speed to the movements of the hind leg, 

abduct the thigh, and assist in rearing. 

The lengtli and vohime of its muscular fibers enable it to keep up a 
sustained action from the time the hind foot takes the ground or in 
advance of the center of gravity, until it leaves it after completing 
Its propulsive effect. When the foot is off the ground it funushes 
the sinews of war offensive and defensive. The distance from the 
insertion to the fulcrum or head of the bone being so short, it 
causes the foot when free from the ground to move with great 
velocity.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillmau. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. Ill 

Green Horse. A horse that has never trotted or paced 
for premiums or purse, either double or single. 

Grinding". A peculiar grinding motion of the hind 
foot upon the ground, which attends the articulation of the 
hind feet of some horses. Like stringhalt and cocked ankles, 
grinding is not only confined to the hind limbs and feet, but 
entirely among four footed animals to the horse. The action 
is a grinding motion of the heel sometimes outwardly, some- 
times inwardly. It is performed through the agency of some 
of the ligaments that are not sufficiently powerful to act in 
opposition to the flexor and extensor tendons. All the methods 
known to farriery have been used to prevent it, but absolutely 
in vain. 

Grog-g-iness ; Groggy Gait. A term applied to the 
peculiar knuckling of the fetlock joint, and the tottering of the 
whole of the fore leg. It is difficult to locate it in any partic- 
ular joint, and it seems oftenest to result from a want of 
power in the ligaments of the joints generally, produced by 
frequent strains, severe sprains, or by ill-judged and cruel 
exertion. It is a legal unsoundness. 

Groom ; Grooming. One having the care of horses ; 
the act of dressing or cleaning a horse. The grooming which 
each horse receives should be adapted to its individual peculiar- 
ities, and particular attention should be paid to the brushes and 
instruments used in the operation. Some horses can be rub- 
bed with a stiff brush, others must have a very soft one — a 
wisp of straw or a soft cloth. After the dandruff and dirt have 
been removed, the best grooms rarely resort to anything else than 
the palms of the hands and sides of the arms up to the elbows 
— as nothing else will so make the coat smooth and glossy. 

Grossness. Superfluous flesh ; an undesirable quality 
or characteristic in a horse for speed or road purposes. 

Grunting. A peculiar sound connected with the emis- 
sion of the breath when the animal is suddenly moved, or 
started, or struck at. If the horse grunts at such times he is 
further tested for roaring. Grunters are not always roarers, 
but as it is a common thing for a roarer to grunt, such an 
animal must be looked upon with suspicion until he is 
thoroughly tried by pulling a load, or being made to gallop 
up hill. 

Guaranteed Stake. A stake with a guarantee by the 
party or association opening it, that the sum shall not be less 
than the amount named ; the prize being the total amount of 
money contributed by the nominators, all of which belongs to 



112 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

the winner or the winners ; although snch stake does not entitle 
the giver to any excess, unless so stated, in the published 
conditions. 

Guards of the Bit. The side-pieces or cheeks attached 
to the ends of the bit, connected with which are rings for 
receiving the reins and cheek pieces of the headstall or bridle. 

Guard-rail. The pole around the inner circle of a race 
track ; the hub rail. 

Gullet-plate. The iron arch under the pommel of the 
saddle. 

Gums. The fleshy parts of the sockets of the teeth. 

Guy. Bay gelding; foaled 1880. By Kentucky Prince ; 
dam, Flora Gardiner, by Seely's American Star. Holding the 
World's record to close of 1893 ; one mile to wagon, made at 
Detroit, Michigan, July 18, 1893, in 2:13. 



H 

Half Forfeit. As a definition of the haK forfeit system 
in running races take the following example : A sweepstake 
for three-year olds, $50 each, haK forfeit ; $1000 added, of 
which §200 to second, $100 to third, etc. In such a race each 
horse that started would pay $50, and each horse that sub- 
scribed to the stake and failed to start would owe $25, (half 
forfeit) ; or in other words would owe a sum equal to half of 
the starting fee. At the East if not paid, the owner of the 
horse and the horse against which the forfeit existed would be 
put in the forfeit list, and the owner's entries and the horse's 
entry, if sold, would not be accepted to future races until the 
forfeit was paid. In the West an order would be issued 
against the owner and horse, and if the forfeit were lodged the 
owner could not start a horse nor could the horse start, until 
payment was made. As a rule, all entrance money and forfeits 
go to the winner. Thus, there is this difference to the forfeit 
systems East and AVest : In the East the clubs collect through 
the forfeit list for the winner ; at the West orders are issued 
to the winner and he does his own collecting by lodging 
forfeits with the secretary when the horse or owner are start- 
ing in races. At the South the clubs have entirely discarded 
the forfeit system, and make the stakes entirely on the cash 
entrance plan. 

Half-g'iiards to a bit is a compromise between the snaf- 
fle and the common bridoon with rings only. Instead of fuU 
guards both above and below the rings to rest upon the cheek 
and prevent the bit from being drawn through the mouth, 
only that part or half of the guard below the ring or bar, is 
retained. 

Half Mile Running. World's record to close of 1893 : 
Geraldine, at Morris Park, West Chester, X. Y., August 30, 
1889, 0:46. Heat race: Aged horses, Bogus, 113 lbs., at 
Helena, Montana, August 28, 1888, 0:48 ; 0:48. Four-year-olds, 
Eclipse Jr., Dallas, Texas, November 1, 1890, 0:48; 0:48; 0:48. 

Halters are made in considerable variety, being plain 
neck of either leather or rope, and leather headstall with rope 
tie. These are of many patterns ; plain, or with fancy trim- 
mings in brass and nickel, in black or russet leather. Web 
8 113 



114 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

halters are in scarlet, blue, and other colors. One of the best 
practical halters is the ordinary leather headstall, with fore- 
head, throat and nose-bands, on which should be a ring under 
the cbin for attaching a rope, chain or leather strap. 

Halter-Breaking-; Haltering". The act of accus- 
toming a colt to the use and discipline of the halter ; one of 
the first lessons in colt education. 

Halter-Pulling. One of the yery worst faults a horse 
can have, the result of defective and ignorant training. A 
person is never safe with a horse that has contracted this 
habit, and it is a habit very hard to overcome. The best 
method is to take an ordinary halter, having a lead sufficiently 
long to pass through the halter-ring, then back between the 
fore legs and under a surcingle, and attach to a strap around 
the ankle of one hind foot. Be careful that the halter-ring is 
sufficiently strong to resist the pull. As the colt pulls on the 
halter it draws both ways — upon the head in front, and also 
on the hind foot. The colt will find that by stepping forward 
the pull upon the hind foot will lessen, and he will rarely 
make more than two or three attempts to pull back. This 
treatment should never be attempted when the colt has the 
harness on, but always when in the stall or when hitched to a 
post. After this treatment, kindness and gentleness will com- 
plete the work of reform from this extremely bad fault. 

Hainbletonian, Rysclyk's. Founder of the greatest 
trotting family the world has ever seen. Foaled May 5, 1849, 
at Sugar Loaf, Orange County, N. Y. Bred by Win. M. 
Rysdyk. By Abdallah, (son of thoroughbred Mambrino, by 
imported Messenger, and a trotting mare called Amazonia, 
pedigree unknown) ; dam, the Charles Kent mare, by imported 
Bellfounder, a Norfolk trotter; second dam, One-Eye, by 
Bishop's Hambletonian, a thoroughbred ; third dam, Silvertail, 
by imported Messenger. He Avas a beautiful bay, with both 
hind feet white, and a small star in forehead. His shoulders 
and quarters were so massive that his exceptionally round 
barrel seemed somewhat light. His neck was short and 
straight, and he had a large, coarse head, though it was bony 
and expressive. He stood firm and solid, on feet perfect in 
shape and texture ; and his legs were flat, clean, heavily mus- 
cled, and free from gumminess or sw^elling, even when he was 
old. His rump was rather round, than sloping, and his tail 
was set low and carried low. He stood 15.1 at the withers, 
and 15.3 at the rump. His knee was 13i inches in circumfer- 
ence, his hock 17^ inches in circumference. From the center 
of the hip-joint to the point of the hock he measured 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 115 

41 inches, and from the point of the stifle to the point 
of the hock, the length of his thigh was 24 inches. His 
chief points of excellence were his long, trotting gait, his 
muscular development, and the fine quality of his bones and 
sinews. He was never engaged in a race, and never had a 
record at any rate of speed ; but as a three-year-old he trotted 
in public on Union Course, L. I., in 2:48^. Forty of his sons 
and daughters have made records ranging from 2:17| to 2:30, 
including Dexter, 2:17^; Nettie, 2:18, and Orange Girl, 2:20. 
One hundred and thirty-eight of his sons are sires of eleven 
hundred and one trotters, and seventy-one pacers, with records 
ranging from 2:08f to 2:30 ; and sixty-nine daughters, (to the 
close of 1893), have produced eighty-seven trotters and two 
pacers, with records of 2:30 or better. " He is not only first 
as a sire of trotters, but as the progenitor of the producers of 
trotters, both male and female, he is incomparably above all 
others of his generation." He died at Chester, N. Y., March 
27, 1876. 

Hanunermg", Punishing a beaten horse ; or whipping 
a horse at the finish when it is impossible for him to win, are 
acts known as " hammering." 

Hamstring'. The great tendon or sinew at the back of 
the hock on the hind leg of the horse. 

Hand. A measure of four inches ; the standard division 
of measurement for horses ; a palm. 

Hand-GaUop. [Eng.] Explained by the quotation : 

The hand-gallop is play; the pace of pleasure parties not hurried; of 
hunting men going'to cover with a half hour to spare. — Book of the 
Horse, Samuel Sidney. 

Hand-Loops. Loops attached to reins for the purpose 
of getting a better control of the horse, and managing him 
more easily. There are usually three hand-loops, or straps, to 
each rein, about one foot apart. 

Handicap. An extra burden placed upon, or a special 
requirement made of, a superior competitor in favor of an 
inferior, in order to make their chances of winning more equal. 
In a horse race the adjudging of various weights to horses dif- 
fering in age, power or speed, in order to place them all, as 
far as possible, on an equality. 

Handicapper. An officer of the turf assigned to deter- 
mine the amount of the handicaps in a race or contest of 
speed. It is said that an experienced handicapper can so 
weight two horses of different ages and different degrees of 
power, that they will run to a head-and-head finish. 

Handicap Race. A race for which the horses are 



116 HAK'DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

weighted according to their merits, in the estimation of the 

handicapper, for the purpose of equalizing their chances of 

winning. 

"We never could see any object in handicap racing, except to enable a 
poor horse to beat a good one. To tliis we may add tlie opportunity 
to bet wlietber this liorse can carry ten or twenty poujids more 
weight til an that one, and beat him.— Wallace's Montliiy, 

Handler. One who breaks, educates or handles colts, 
giving them their first lessons in good service, as distinguished 
from a trainer or driver in races. 

Handling Reins. Reins used in handling, or educa- 
ting colts to the bit. They are usually made of hard rope line, 
about fifteen feet long, Math loops, or handles made of double 
plaited rope the size of an ordinary clothesline. They are 
fastened by spring hooks to the rings of the bit, and pass 
through t'^rrets on the pad of the surcingle, to the hands of 
the person handling the colt. 

Hands on the Reins. [Eq.] A great English rider 
has said : " One ought to ride as though he had a silken rein 
in his hand as fine as hair, and that he was afraid of breaking 
it." The rider should never keep a dead pull on the reins, but 
" give and take," so that the horse may understand his wishes 
by the feeling of his mouth. 

Hang out the Prizes. A term used in referring to 
the premiums, stakes and pm-ses published in the programme of 
a race meeting. To " hang out," is to offer certain prizes. 

Haras. A French term denoting a stud of horses, and 
applied generally to the stud establishment of the National 
government. These breeding establishments are governed by 
strict regulations, and a law of August 14, 1885, also provides 
for an inspection as to the character and soundness of the 
stallions in private ownership, which may be advertised for 
public use, and the law is rigidly enforced. It provides that a 
stallion cannot be employed without being first approved and 
authorized by the Administrator of the Haras — or master of 
the stud — and he must have a certificate that he is free from 
certain specified unsoundnesses. This certificate is in force 
for only one year, and is not issued until an expert official 
examination of the animal has been made. Violations are 
punished by fines imposed on the driver and gi'oom. Every 
owner of a stallion advertising his horse for breeding purposes 
must notify the Prefect, and the animal is inspected by a com- 
mittee, consisting of a veterinarian, a breeder and a govern- 
ment inspector. Terms like "the flower of the haras," "the 
gem of the haras," are often met with in turf journals or 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 117 

books, meaning the very choicest and finest bred of the ani- 
mals in the stud. 

Hard Mouth. When a horse has a confirmed hard 
mouth it is regarded as a serious vice. 

Harem. A term applied to a collection of brood mares. 
Harness. The working-gear, or tackle, of a horse, to 
connect him to a sulky or vehicle. It consists of the following 
parts : Crown-piece ; cheek-piece ; front ; blinds ; nose-band ; 
bit; cm-b; check; throat-latch; rem; breastplate; martin- 
gale ; trace-tug ; trace ; saddle ; turrets ; belly-band, (girth) ; 
turn-back, (back strap) ; crupper ; breeching ; breeching-strap ; 
hip-strap. Track harness weigh from seven and a quarter to 
twelve pounds, all complete, the average weight being from 
eight to nine pounds- 
Harness Meeting. A race to sulkies. 
Harness Tiu*f. A term used to denote the trotting turf 
as distinguished from the running turf. 

Harrows, for dressing or finishing the surface of a track. 
Track harrows are made in two forms — square and triangular, 
of the best wagon timber, and generally twelve feet on each 
side. The square harrows are made of three pieces one way, 
and four the other, each of two by four inch material. In. 
each of the four cross-pieces are thirty teeth, or one hundred 
and twenty in all. Within the outer frame of the triangular- 
shaped harrow are braces forming a smaller frame of the same 
shape, but exactly reversed from the larger or outer one, the 
points of the smaller one being at the centre of the outside 
pieces. The outside pieces of this harrow are two by eight 
inches ; and the inside pieces two by four inches. In the out- 
side pieces are three rows of teeth, one hmidred and four teeth 
to each piece ; and in the inside pieces are two rows of teeth, or 
thirty teeth to each piece, making a total of four hundred and 
two teeth. These teeth are 60-penny, forged, steel wire nails, 
six inches long, set so firm in the frame work that they may be 
adjusted to depth as required, the general rule being to have 
them so set as to make channels one-half an inch apart, and 
from one-fourth to three-fourths of an inch deep on the face of 
the track. When more than one harrow is used with the same 
team in dressing a track, as is usually the case, they are drawn 
diagonally, so that one will not follow directly behind the 
other, but behind and outside of the other ; hence once around 
the track will dress a section of from twenty-four to thirty- 
six feet of its width. Such a triangular harrow as is described 
will weight 300 pounds. 



118 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Haunch. The upper thigh of the hind leg of the horse ; 
situated between the gaskin, or lower thigh, below; and the 
point of the quarter, above. 

Head. The head of a horse, by aside view, is divided 
from the neck by a line proceeding from the back of the ear, 
along the rear edge of the lower jaw, to its angle. It embraces 
the following named regions, or parts, viz. : Ear, poll, fore- 
head, face, nostrils, muzzle, mouth, cheek, eye, jowl, lower jaw, 
inter-maxillary space. 

Head, Lead of the. In speeding, the horse should be 
allowed to follow its instinct in fixing the position of the head 
— there can be no safer or more successful rule in training than 
this ; indeed, it is one of the golden rules in horse discipline. 

Headstall. The name given to the leather work of the 
upper part of a bridle when in collected form, and to which the 
snaffle or bit and bridoon is attached. 

Heat. An act requiring intense and uninterrupted effort ; 
great activity ; as to do a thing at a heat ; one part of a race, 
or once around a com^se in a race. In trotting races, heats 
best tliree in five ; a horse not winning a heat in the first five 
trotted cannot start in the sixth unless he shall have made a 
dead heat. In running races of heats best two in three, a horse 
that actually wins two heats, or distances the field, wins the 
race ; and a horse running in two consecutive heats, without 
winning, or running a dead heat, cannot again start in the 
race. In a running race of heats best three in five, a horse 
that wins three heats, or distances the field, wdns the race ; and 
a horse running in any three consecutive heats, without win- 
ning, or rimning a dead heat, is not allowed to again start in 
the race. 

Heaves. Broken wind ; asthma ; a disease of the organs 
of breathing caused by the rupture of the air cells, which pre- 
vents the animal from expelling air from the lungs without a 
double effort. A legal unsoundness. 

Hedge. To protect by betting on both sides ; or, in other 
words, after having bet on one side, to bet also on the other 
side, in order to guard one's self against loss whatever the 
result may be. 

No bet is good till it is -well hedged. — Blue Ribbon of tlie Turf, Louis 
Henry Curzon. 

Heels. The posterior part of the horse's foot, formed by 
the angles of inflection of the extremities of the hind portion 
of the hoof. 

Heels of the Shoe. The rear part of the web or plate 
of the shoe protecting the heels of the foot. 



HANDBOOK OP THE TURF, 119 

Helper. A groom ; rubber, or assistant : one "svho helps 
in the care of a horse at a race, in a subordinate position. 

Helping". A term used to designate any action bv an 
offending horse, rider or drive.-, by whicli any horse is enabled 
to come to the Avire in an unfair manner, and by which the 
progress of another horse is impeded. The trotting rides 
demand that no horse, rider or driver shall jostle, cross, or 
strike another horse, rider or driver, during a heat ; nor swerve, 
carry him out, sit down in front of him, or do any other act 
coming under the head of "helping," under liability of fine, 
suspension or expulsion- 
Heredity. In breeding, the influence of parents upon 
their offspring ; the fact or principle of inheritance or the trans- 
mission of physical and mental characteristics from one gene- 
ration of ancestors to those following them. 

Hero of Chester. A term universally applied to the 
great sire. Hambletonian. 

Herod Blood. In the English thoroughbred pedigrees, 
founded by the Byerly Turk, a celebrated charger owned by 
Capt. Bverly of Ireland, in the time of King William's wars, 
in 1689.' 

Hidden Quality. An element of speed in many pedi- 
grees which trace to unknown sources, but one of uncertainty 
at best, and in the formation of a family of trotters its evolution 
must ever be a matter of doubtful experiment. 

Higrb BloAving'. A term applied to a noisy breathing 
made by some horses, produced wholly by the action of the 
nostrils — a distinctly nasal soimd, and by no means to be- con- 
foiuided with roaring. It is a habit ; not an unsoundness. 

Hig"li-bred. A meaningless term in common use, one 
applied alike to the trotting horse, the cross-bred Percheron, or 
any other class, by which people are often deceived at the 
hands of the horse sharp, regarding the pedigTee or value of 
an animal. It possesses no significance, and has no proper 
place in the turf vocabulary. 

Higli-jump. In the high-jump, photographs show that 
the lore feet first strike the ground after clearing. All high 
jumpers, as distinguished from broad or hurdle jumpers, land 
on their fore feet first. At the Madison Square Garden. (Xew 
York), fair of 1891, the mare Maud got over a fence seven feet 
high and landed on her fore feet so nearly perpendicular that 
had not the grooms laid hold of her, she must have completed 
a somersault. 

High-wheel. The old standard sulky. 



120 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Hind Action. Perfect hind action in the trotter is just 
sufficiently wide to prevent interference with the fore legs and 
feet; and yet, brought as nearly as it can to approach to a 
straight line with the forward action, without interference, or 
the least loss of muscular power. 

Hippodroming". An old term, said to have been first 
used by George Wilkes in 1857, to denote the plan of taking 
two well known horses together through the country to trot 
for purses and divide the profits. The plan met with great 
opposition when first started. Flora Temple and Lancet were 
the first horses to trot together in this way, which they 
did at Elmira, IST. Y., September 2, 1857. Now termed 
" campaigning." 

Hippometer. A French term for a standard adjustable 
instrument for measuring the height of horses — consisting of an 
upright standard, an arm to rest on the shoulder, and register- 
ing the height in centimetres. 

Hippoinetric Cane. A cane which pulls out in seg- 
ments, one within the other, being a metallic rod within a 
hollow rattan staff or cane, and fastened in, when closed, by 
means of springs. Used for measuring the height of horses. 

Hippopliag'y. The consumption of horse meat as human 
food. 

Hippophile. A horse fancier; one who has a special 
love or fondness for horses. 

Hip-Straps. The pieces of a harness attached to the 
back straps, on each side, which hold the breeching-straps and 
breeching in place. 

Hiring- Horses. [Law.] When a horse is let out for 
hire for the purpose of performing a particular journey, the 
person letting warrants it fit and competent for such journey ; 
and the owner of the horse is liable for any accident which 
may befall it when used with reasonable care by the person 
hiring it. 

History. The three great periods into which the history 
of the English turf and the breeding of horses is naturally 
'divided, are : 1. From the beginning of history to the end of the 
reign of Queen Elizabeth, (1603), or before the times of the 
thoroughbred horse; 2. from the ascension of James I. in 1603, 
to the year 1791, the first publication of the Stud Book, the 
period of the making of the thoroughbred horse, and ; 3, from 
1791 to the present day. Races were known in very early 
times. In the reign of Henry XL, (1154-1189), tournaments 
began to be of frequent occurrence, and one writer, Fitz- 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF, 121 

Stephen, mentions the delight taken by the people of London 
in this diversion. In 1326 Edward III. purchased running 
horses, and in the ninth year of his reign received a present of 
two running horses from the King of ISTavarre. Henry VIII., 
(1483-1485), took great pains to improve the royal stud, and 
imported horses from Turkey, Naples and Spain, In 1602 the 
first Arabian horses were imported, and races were run for 
silver bolls at many places. Oliver Cromwell, (1653-1660), kept 
a racing stud and patronized the turf. During the reign of 
Charles, (1660-1685), he imported horses of Eastern blood, 
which was continued by his successors, and led to the estab- 
lishment of the thoroughbred horse. During the reign of this 
monarch it was proclaimed that persons in His Majesty's ser- 
vice in riding should not use any snaffles but bits. This was 
probably because bits were more becoming and better suited to 
the troops, as snaffles were in general more fit for " times of 
disport," by which racing and the chase were undoubtedly 
meant. During the reign of George II., 1727, statutes were 
enacted : That no plates or matches were to be run for under 
£50 in value, except at Newmarket and Black Hambleton, on 
a penalty of £200 to be paid by the owner of each horse run- 
ning, and £100 by the person who advertised the plate; that 
no person should run any horse at a race but his own ; that 
every horse race was to be begun and ended the same day. The 
objects of these statutes were "the preventing the multiplicity 
of horse races ; the encouragement of idleness, and the impov- 
erishment of the meaner sort of people." An act for the sup- 
pression of races by ponies and weak horses was passed during 
the reign of George III., 1739. At this time races were held 
in one hundred and twelve cities and towns in England. 
During the latter half of the eighteenth century racing declined 
very much and numbers of meetings were discontinued, this 
result being due to the wars then raging. But from the 
beginning of the nineteenth century, and especially after the 
conclusion of the French war of 1815, racing again revived. A 
great number of matches and stake races w^ere established, 
records of the latter having occurred as early as 1828. The 
royal stud was sold on the ascension of Queen Victoria, in 1837. 
Just when racing began in America, is not easy to determine ; 
but it is a well attested fact that pacers were bred and paced, 
especially in Rhode Island, during the last decades of the 
seventeenth century. Pacing races took place between the 
gentry of Rhode Island and Virginia, in and about Phila- 
delphia, early in the eighteenth century. In 1665, Governor 
Nichols established a race course at Hempstead Heath, L. I., 
N. y., and ordered that a plate should be run for every year. 



122 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

In 1669, Governor Lovelace, who succeeded Governor Nichols, 
ordered races to be run on Hempstead Heath, but from that 
time for nearly a hundred years, history is quite silent on the 
subject of horse racing. Then it revived, and one historian 
says " there was no end to scrub and pace racing in all parts 
of the middle and southern colonies, and particularly on the 
good and shaded roads of Manhattan Island." As wealth and 
leisure increased in the country, after the close of the Revolu- 
tionary war, the sport of racing grew so rapidly that laws for 
its suppression were passed. Pennsylvania passed such laws 
in 1794, 1817 and 1820; New Jersey in 1797, followed by the 
States of New York, Connecticut, and probably all the other 
New England States. The first recorded trotting performance 
in this country was by the horse Yankee, at Harlem, N. Y., 
July 6, 1806, over a track said to have been short of a mile, in 
2:59. At Philadelphia, in 1810, the Boston horse trotted a 
mile to harness in 2:48^. The earliest organized effort in 
behalf of trotting in this country was started at Philadelphia 
in 1828, by the establishment of the Hunting Park Associa- 
tion. See, Sport of Kings, Queens of the Turf, Trotting 
Families, Extreme Speed, and celebrated individual horses. 

Hitcli. To hobble ; an unsteady gait which crosses and 
jerks. 

Hitch. A team ; a horse or horses harnessed to a buggy 
is said to be a "hitch," and if fine, is properly called a nice 
hitch ; a good hitch. 

Hock. The hock is placed between the gaskin and the 
hind cannon bone, from which it may be separated by a line 
drawn across this bone at the point at which its head begins to 
enlarge in order to form a joint with the lower bones of the 
hock. The hock in the horse represents the heel in man, and 
the elongations of bones and corresponding tendons are neces- 
sary modifications of the plan for the development of speed. 

The liock joint is unique in construction. "Tlie interlocking grooves of 
this joint are not direct, as in otlier hinge joints of tlie body, and 
as the corresponding joint in man is, but (;blique, so tliat when 
flexion talces place at tliat joint, tlie lower ray is carried obliqxiely 
outward, and when the other leg is passed, and the extension takes 
place again, its action is reversed and the foot is returned to the 
position required to support the center of gravity. ,By this simple 
contrivance the danger of accident is placed beyond the will of the 
animal, and in well formed horses beyond the possibility of acci- 
dent. Some horses circiuuduet the hind feet more than others, 
and in others the stifle action is most marked; but it is not com- 
mon to see both excessive in the same horse. 'There is often con- 
siderable difterence in different horses in the length of the hock. 
The long hock gives the greatest power, for the reason that the 
leverage is greater; but what is gained in power is lost in speed. 
—The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Hock, Point of. The bony projection at the back and 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 123 

top of the hock. The parts of the hind leg below the hock are 
similarly named to those of the fore leg below the knee. 

Hock Strap. A spreader used to prevent the hopping 
or sidewise gait of the horse. It is a stout, elastic band of 
rubber webbing, one and a half to two inches wide, with two 
small straps and buckles at the ends used to tighten it. Attach 
this to the leg just above the hock, (not the leg with which the 
horse hops, but the one carried out), draw moderately tight, 
and its use will tend to regulate the action of the leg which 
the horse uses out of line. 

Hog" on the Bit. A hard puller, and especially a 
borer or puller to one side, is said to " hog on the bit." 

Hog'g'ing'. The custom of cutting off the mane of the 
horse in a sort of. pompadour style, so that the hairs are 
about the length of hog's bristles. The delineations of horses 
in Egyptian, Persian and Grecian monuments and sculpture, 
represent them with the mane hogged ; and this fashion pre- 
vailed to a considerable extent in England, in the early part of 
this century, "when," says Rev. J. G. Wood, "a sham classi- 
cal mania reigned in the fashionable world." It is not harm- 
ful to the horse ; it may not come under the head of mutila- 
tion, but it is both unnatural and unnecessary. 

Hold Over Them. A term used to denote that the 
horse of which it is said has more speed than his opponents. 
Thus John Splan says: "Lady Thorne was pitted against 
George AVilkes, Dexter, Lucy, Goldsmith JNIaid, American Girl, 
Mountain Boy and George Palmer, and held over them in 
nearly all her engagements." 

Hold the Horse Together. Used to denote the art 
of saving a horse at the finish, especially in a running race, 
from overdoing himself when there is no occasion for it ; the 
act of easing up on the horse at the bit, an inch at a time, as 
the situation of the finish among the contestants allows; to 
drive without forcing the horse. 

Holders. Hand loops attached to the reins for the pur- 
pose of better holding and controlling the horse, particularly if 
he is a hard puller. 

Have the reins made the right length, and don't have three or four 
yards of leather hanging down behind tlie sulky. Have the holders 
on the reins good leiigth and wide, and be sure that you have them 
in exactly tlie right place, so that if the horse, from any canse, 
either from breaking or otherwise, should take an extra hold of 
the bit yon are ready and in the right position to handle him with 
ease. I drive all my horses with holders on the reins, and I think 
no man should ever drive in a race without them, — Life with the 
Trotters, John Splan. 

Hole in Him. A defect. " That horse has a hole in 
him," means that he has an out, an unsoundness, a fault. 



124 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Hollow of the Pastern. The hollow at the back and 

lower part of the pastern joint. 

Home. The goal; the ultimate point to which the 
horse runs; the line which every rider or driver hopes to 
reach first. 

Homestretcli. That part of the track betw^een the last 
turn and the wire, usually wider and more level than any 
other section of the trotting course ; the real battle ground of 
the contending horses in a race. The rules governing horses 
in a race on the homestretch, are, perhaps, more carefully 
made than those covering any other part of the track, with a 
view of protecting every horse and giving to each the best pos- 
sible chance to win. They provide that when the foremost 
horse or horses come out on the homestretch they shall each 
keep the positions first chosen, under penalty of being ruled out. 
The hindermost horse or horses, when there is sufficient room 
to pass on the inside, or in fact, anywhere on the homestretch, 
without interfering with other horses have the right to do so, 
and any one interfering to prevent such passing is ruled 
out by the judges. If in attempting to pass another horse, 
however, a horse should at any time swerve or cross, so as to 
impede the stride of a horse behind him, such horse is not 
entitled to win the heat. 

Hood. A protective covering for the horse's head. 
Hoods are used for both sweating and cooling-out purposes, 
and are made of various patterns. They embrace long hoods 
which cover the face in front and extend to the withers ; 
shorter ones which drop just below the eyes and cover half of 
the crest ; throat hoods or jowl sweaters ; cooling hood, both 
long and short ; goggle hoods, etc. They are usually made of 
Canton flannel or California wool goods in plain and fancy 
colors ; heavy or light weight, according to the purpose for 
which they are used, and in a wide variety of styles and pat- 
terns of texture. 

I do not believe in getting flesh off a horse with a sweat-blanket or 
hood — worlv it off in the natural way. — Training the Trotting Horse, 
Charles Marvin. 

Hood. A canvas covering which buttons upon and 
closely envelopes the skeleton body or foot-rest of road and 
speed carts, as a protection to the legs of the driver from mud 
or dirt. It is adjustable, and taken off when not wanted. 

Hoof. The horny box which encloses the horse's foot. 
In general terms the front part of the hoof near the gi'ound 
surface is called the toe, the two sides of which are designated 
as outside and inside toe ; the lateral or side portions consti- 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 125 

tute the quarters ; the rear parts on the ground surface the 
heels. The general shape is that of the half of a cylinder -cut 
obliquely across its middle, and resting on the surface of this 
section. In nearly all feet, however, it is slightly conical. 
Specifically the hoof is separated into these portions, viz : the 
wall ; the sole ; the frog. The wall is the outer portion of the 
hoof, and is divided into a hard, fibrous covering called the 
crust ; and a soft, inner layer of non-fibrous horn. The sole 
is a thick horny plate between the border of the wall and its 
reflected prolongations, occupying what is termed the inferior 
face of the hoof. The frog is a mass of horn, pyramidal in 
Sxiape, situated between the two re-entering portions of the 
wsiR, having a base, four sides and a summit. Within this 
box or hoof is contained the coffin, navicular and part of the 
small pastern bones ; the sensitive laminse ; the plantar 
cushion, and the lateral cartilages. Generally the hoofs of the 
fore feet are broader and rounder in front ; those of the hind 
feet narrower and more pointed. The right and left hoofs of 
either leg can be distinguished by observing that the inner 
edge of the wall is flatter and the outer edge more convex. 

Tiie hoof grows more rapidly in warm, dry climates, than in cold, wet 
ones; in healriiy, energetic animals, tlian in those which are soft 
and weak; during exercise, than repose; in young, than in old 
animals. In winter it widens, becomes softer and grows but little; 
in summer it is condensed, becomes more rigid, concave and resist- 
ing, is exposed to severer wear, and grows more rapidly. This 
variation is a provision of Nature to enable the hoof to adapt itself 
to tlie altered conditions it has to meet — hard horn to hard ground; 
soft liorn to soft ground.— Horse Shoes and Horse Shoeing, George 
Fleming, LL.D., M. R. C. V. S. 

In a state of nature tlie hoof preserves its form and qualities under 
the following conditions: 1. Its elasticity is complete when the 
frog is in full relation witli the ground; 2, its constant use main- 
tains a proper length and a regnlar axis; 3, the sole has all its 
thickness, all its strength, and prevents contraction of the heels; 
4, the hairs of the coronet cover and protect the cutidure, the 
varnish of the wall, (periople), protects the horn against alterations 
of dryness and humidity; 5, the moisture of the soil, the dew, and 
the freshness of the pasture maintaining it in a state of humidity 
favorable to the preservation of its form. It reqiiires about eight 
months for the production of a completely new hoof. All loss of 
substance to the wall is therefore reduced very slowly; whence 
the lesson is taught that we should avoid this loss as much as 
possible. The healthy foot is a very beautiful object. — Exterior of 
tlie Horse, Armand Gouboux and Gustave Barrier. 

Hopping". Wobbling; the motion of going crooked 
behind. In doing so the horse shortens the stride of one hind 
foot, places it under or between his fore feet and carries the 
other one out, thus causing the hip to hop or wobble behind. 
Some horses will hop and go sideways to avoid scalping, hit- 
ting shins or quarters. The remedy then consists in skillful 
shoeing and proper booting. Some horses will hop when their 
heads are checked out of a natural position, either too high or 
too low. Radical changes in shoeing, such as changing light 



126 HAZSTDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

shoes for heavy ones, and vice versa will sometimes cure hop- 
ping. Difference in the length of stride of fore feet, arising 
from faulty conformation or other irregularity, will often 
cause the horse to go crooked behind. In such cases it can be 
remedied by adding more weight to the foot which steps the 
shortest. 

Hopples; Hobbles. A device used for changing the 
gait of a horse from a pace to a trot ; from a trot to a pace, or 
for holding a horse steady at either gait. There are several 
patterns. They are usually made of leather, covered with 
lambswool, with elastic connections by which to draw the leg 
back to the gait desired. They are changable, and may be so 
adjusted as to act as cross straps, or in a straight line from 
fore to hind legs. 

Horny Sole. A concave plate contained within the 
lower margin of the wall of the horse's foot covering the lower 
face of the pedal bone. It is thickest around its outer border 
where it joins the wall, and thinnest in the center where it is 
most concave. It is less dense and resisting than the wall of 
the hoof, and is designed more to support weight than to stand 
wear. It has a characteristic of breaking off in flakes on the 
ground face when the fibers become long. 

Horse. A well known and most noble domestic animal 
of the genus Equus ; family Equidse ; sub-order Perissodactyla, 
(odd-toed) ; order Ungulata, (hoofed) ; class Mammalia. The 
name of a genus corresponds to the surname or family name 
of persons of civilized nations, but in the language of science 
it always precedes the specific name, which corresponds to our 
given or Christian name. The horse is distinguished from all 
other members of the Equidse, by the long hairs of the tail 
being more abundant and growing from the base as well as 
from the ends and sides ; and also by possessing a small bare 
callosity on the inner side of the hind leg, just below the hock, 
as well as one on the inner side of the forearm above the knee, 
common to all the genus. The mane is longer and more flow- 
ing, the front part of it drooping over the forehead, forming 
the forelock ; the ears are shorter, the limbs longer, the feet 
broader and the head smaller. By the agency of man horses 
are now diffused throughout almost the whole of the inhabited 
portions of the globe, and the great modifications they have 
undergone, in consequence of domestication and selection in 
breeding, are well illustrated by comparing such extremes as 
the Shetland pony, dwarfed by scanty food and a rigorous 
climate, standing from 9.2 to 10.2 hands high; the thorough- 
bred race-horse of 16.2 hands high, and the gigantic London 



HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 127 

dray-horse of from 17 to 18 hands high. There are seven 

modifications of the horse type, at present existing, sufiiciently 

distinct to be reckoned as species by all zoologists. There 

were in the United States at the close of the year 1893 

16,081,139 horses of all ages, valued at ^769,221,799. The 

four leading horse producing states are : Iowa, with 1,367,329 ; 

Illinois, with 1,308,771; Texas, with 1,183,895; Missouri, 

with 1,008,361. Aside from the recognized trotting bred and 

running bred horses in this country the generally recognized 

breeds or sub-families are : Clydesdale, Percheron, French 

Coach, Yorkshire Coach, Cleveland Bay, English Shire, 

Suffolk Punch, Hackney. 

In the choice of a horse and a wife a man must please himself .—G. J. 
Whyte-Melville. 

Horse. [Law.] The legal definition of a horse is : A 
hoofed quadruped of the genus Equus, (E. caballus), having 
one toe to each foot, a mane, and a long flowing tail. The 
term horse embraces generally all the classes and sexes. It has 
been decided that a ridgling is not a gelding, but a horse. — 
Chattel Mortgage. It has been decided that a colt born of a 
mare which is held under mortgage belongs to the holder of the 
legal title, the mortgagee ; but to make a chattel mortgage good 
to hold the colt he must show that it was conceived prior to the 
date of his \i\oT:igdigQ.— Exemptions. The exemption of a horse 
from execution under the exemption act in Texas, includes 
everything absolutely essential to its beneficial enjoyment, as 
bridle, saddle and martingale. It has been held that a horse 
standing at a farrier's to be shod, is exempt from distress on 
the plea of public utility. — Leaving at an Inn. The tendency 
of modern cases, says the American and English Encyclopedia 
of Law, xi, 23, (1890), is to hold that merely leaving a horse 
at an inn cannot of itself suffice to constitute one a guest, 
though, according to the earlier cases, and others which have 
followed their views, it is not essential, in order to constitute 
one a guest, in legal contemplation, that he should receive per- 
sonal entertainment at the inn ; but it may be enough that he 
leave his horse, particularly if he be a traveler in the strict 
sense. The older doctrine that the mere leaving a horse at an 
inn may constitute the owner a guest, is supported in the lead- 
ing American case in which this view is taken, by an early 
English decision, recognizing, by a divided court, the lien of an 
inn keeper in regard to a horse left at his stable by a traveler 
who did not himself put up at the inn, and is fm'ther sustained 
by judicial declarations and statements of legal T\Titers. It 
also receives qualified support in this country from a modern 
leading case, where the point does not seem to be directly 



128 HANDBOOK OF THE TURP. 

involved • and from a recent cavse in which a preference is given 
to the view cf the older authorities, and it is held that a trav- 
eler or wayfarer journeying over the country becomes a guest 
by obtaining and paying for entertainment for his beasts at an 
inn ; but in both these cases the doctrine is apparently confined 
to those who are travelers or wayfarers as distinguished from 
residents- But where one leaves his horse with an inn keeper 
with no intention of stopping at the inn himself, but stops at a 
relative's house, he is not a guest of the inn, and the liability 
of the landlord is simply that of an ordinary bailee for hire. 

If a person who is traveling over the conntry from place to place, or 
from one phice to anotiier and returning, lias occasion to seek 
entertainment for his liorse or liorses, alone, and obtains it lor them 
upon consideration of rewartl or pay cliarged hiin by the host or 
landlord, he is in the legal sense a guest, as mvich as if he had him- 
self received personal entertainment, and while such entertain- 
ment for his beasts continues, if any damage or injury happens to 
them, or they be stolen, he is absolutely liable for them to the same 
extent as if lie had undertaken against the particular damage by a 
special arrangement.— Atlantic Reporter, Vol. 8, Rochester, N. Y., 
(Del.), 228 

The existence of an inn involves, in legal contemplation, a stable 
attached to it also, and travelers with horses and carriages are not 
to be presumed to i)ut them up at an inn otherwise than as inn 
stables strictly, whereas those not travelers, but merely putting up 
their teams at the inn stables as a livery, (as in the case with per- 
sons residing near towns, who use such stables as mere conven- 
iences), are not to be considered in the light of guests and entitled 
to the same degree of protection as travelers are. — Atlantic Reporter, 
Vol. 8, Rochester, N. Y., (Del.), 260. 

If a guest goes to an inn and leaves his horse tliere with the host and 
goes away hiinself for a time, and in his absence the horse is stolen, 
the liost "is chargeable on account of the profit arising from the 
keeping of the liorse. — American Decisions, A. C. Freeman, Sau 
Francisco, 1880, 25-1-250. 

By the rules of the American Turf Congress the word horse is under- 
stood to include mare or gelding. 

Horse Breeders' Registry, The, for the registration 
of trotting and pacing horses, according to established rules 
and classes. Headquarters, Boston, Mass. Rules governing 
admission to registry : 

First: Any stallion that has himself a trotting record of 
2:30 or better, or pacing record of 2:25 or better, provided any 
of his get has a trotting record of 2:35 or better, or pacing 
record of 2:30 or better, or provided his sire or dam is already 
standards 

Second : Any mare or gelding that has a trotting record 
of 2:30 or better, or pacing record of 2:25 or better. 

Third: Any horse that is the sire of two animals with a 
trotting record of 2.30 or better, or pacing record of 2:25 or 
better, or one trotter with a record of 2-30 or better, and one 
pacer with a record of 2:25 or better. 

Fourth : Any horse that is the sire of one animal with 
a trotting record of 2:30 or better, or pacing record of 2:25 or 



HAN-DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 129 

better, provided he has either of the following additional quali- 
fications, viz: (a), a trotting record himself of 2:35 or better, 
or pacing record of 2:30 or better; (b), is the sire of two other 
trotters with records of 2:35 or better, or pacers with records 
of 2:30 or better, or one trotter with a record of 2:35 or better, 
and one pacer with a record of 2:30 or better; (c), has a sire 
or dam that is already standard. 

Fifth: Any mare that has produced a trotter with a 
record of 2:30 or better, or pacer with a record of 2:25 or 
better. 

Sixth • The progeny of a standard horse when out of a 
standard mare. 

Seventh: The progeny of a standard horse when out of a 
mare by a standard horse. 

Eighth : The progeny of a standard horse when out of a 
mare whose dam is standard. 

Ninth : Any mare that has a trotting record of 2 : 35 or 
better, or a pacing record of 2 : 30 or better, provided either her 
sire or dam is standard. 

Class Rules : I. This includes only horses standard under 
either rule 2, 3 or 4, and mares standard under rules 2 and 5. 
Every animal in this class must be either a performer or pro- 
ducer. — II. This includes only the produce of mares in class 
I., when by stallions in class I. Every animal in this class 
must have a performer or producer for both ske and dam. 
— III. This includes only the produce of a mare in class I., 
when by any standard stallion not in class I., also the standard 
produce of any mare not in class L, when by a stallion belong- 
ing to class I. — TV. Includes all standard bred animals not 
embraced in the other three classes. 

Horse-leap Church. A church near Kilbeggan in the 
county of West Meath, Ireland, which takes its name from a 
remarkable leap that M^as made near it by a horse while hunting 
with hounds. It was over a narrow road, on either side of which 
there was a stone wall. The horse took both walls and the 
road in one leap thus clearing all from field to field. The 
extreme distance was thirty-six feet. 

Horseman. One who has thorough skill in the knowl- 
edge of horses, and in their management under all conditions ; 
a person who fancies, sells, buys, drives and handles horses ; a 
rider on horseback. 

Horsemanship. The art of equitation. It generally 
refers to riding on horseback, and the management of horses 
under the saddle. 



130 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



In horsemanship art and science are combined, and so closely con- 
nected in any critical performance that they are inseparable ior 
success. The theory and practice must be united, as well in the 
horse as in his rider, fur in equestrian feats tliese are the exercise 
and power of mind over matter, and when theory and practice are 
united and in proporiion, and the material and opportunities good, 
success follows. — Tiie Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Horse Measurement. In taking the measurement of 
a horse, length is obtained from the point of the buttock to the 
point of the shoulder, and height both at the croup and the 
withers. Other measurements are : Length of head from the 
poll to the muzzle ; length of crest, or arch of neck from the 
poll to the withers ; length of back from the withers to the 
croup ; width of chest at the shoulder points ; wddth of hips ; 
width of forehead. These are made with a rule having two 
short arms ; one fixed at one end, the other moveable and slid- 
ing along the face of the rule to the point of contact. Other 
lines of measurement are : The girth ; length from dock 
to stifle ; length from hock to whirlbone ; size around the gas- 
kin; size around the forearm; size around the shank; size 
around the front cannon ; size around the coronet. These lat- 
ter are best made with a common tape measure. 

Horse Motion. That peculiar jerking, jogging, or up- 
and-down motion of a sulky, road cart or other two wheeled 
vehicle whereby it partakes of the motion of the horse in what- 
ever gait he may be going, is termed " horse motion." 

Horse Racing". The practice or sport of running or 
trotting horses ; a race by horses ; a match of horses at trotting 
or running. 

Horse-sharp. A term applied to a person who practices 

deception and fraud in the sale of a horse ; a pedigree-swindler ; 

a horse-leech ; one who claims fraudulent records of speed, and 

deceives in regard to the age and soundness of horses 

which he sells. 

The horse-sharp is in general a very versatile rascal. In the village 
bar-room or around the stable doors he talks loud and persistently, 
and can crowd more lies into a given number of woids tlian any 
other specimen of degraded humanity. In short, whether he mis- 
represents his own liorse's pedigree or slanders his neighbor's 
horse, he is a wholly dirty individual whom an honest man instinct- 
ively feels that he soils his hands by touching, and who is a good 
fellow to keep wholly clear of. — Wallace's Monthly. 

Horse Tax. [Eng.] The horse tax in England w^as 
imposed in 1784, and was then levied on all saddle and coach 
horses. Its operation was extended, and its amount increased 
in 1796, and again in 1808. The existing duty is upon 
" horses for riding " only. 

Horsy. A word used to indicate that a person is fond 
of, or interested in horses ; especially devoted to, or interested in 



HAi^DBOOK OJF THE TURF. 131 

horse-breeding or horse-racing; relating or having to do with 
horses and turf matters. 

Hot Fitting". Fitting the shoe to the horse's foot while 
the shoe is hot — a practice almost universally followed, for- 
merly, but now rarely used ; a method obsolete with the best 
farriers. 

Hour. Trotting races are started at two o'clock p. m., 
from the first day of April to the 15th day of September, and 
after that date at one o'clock p. m., until the close of the season. 

Housing's. A covering. The name derived from a 
coarse sort of tapestry or carpet work, used in the East for 
housings or coverings of saddles ; hence, the trappings or capar- 
ison of a horse ; the leather fastened at a horse's collar to turn 
over the back when it rains. A pad which covers the horse's 
back under the harness saddle ; a lay. 

Hub. The center or stock of a wheel in which all the 
spokes are set, and through which the axle-arm is placed. In 
England it is called nave. The best hubs of wood are those 
made of American Elm. 

Hub Case. That part of the wheel of a pneumatic 
sulky which receives the cone containing the ball bearings. 

Hug the pole ; Hug tlie Track. Said of a horse that 
trots close to the pole or guard-rail, or that trots low ; as in 
such case he "hugs" or goes close to the pole, or hugs the 
ground in a square, level, uninterrupted gait. 

Hunting" Seat. [Eq.] In horsemanship, as distin- 
guished from a riding seat in racing contests. 

The race riders mount for other people's pleasure, and tlie large sums 
of money at stake ; the luinting man rides for liis own pleasure, and. 
is only answerable to himself for his expenditure of horse flesh.— 
beats and Saddles, Francis Dwyer. 

Hurdle. A movable fence ; a bar or frame placed across 
a race course to be cleared by the horses in a hurdle-race. 
Hurdles are usually made three feet high ; of plank, rods or 
narrow boards, with an additional foot in height of cedar brush 
placed above that. The sections of hurdles are placed upon 
feet, braced, in order to make them stand in position. 

Hurdle Race. A race in which the horses are required 
to jump over hurdles or similar obstacles. Although this style 
of racing was abandoned throughout the South and West about 
1882, the American Turf Congress still maintains rules for 
hurdle racing. No such race shall be of less than one mile, if 
a dash race, or over less than four flights of hurdles ; and in 
races longer than one mile there must be an additional flight 
of hui-dles in each quarter of a mile. Winners of hurdle races 



132 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

are not considered winners in steeplechasing, but are consid- 
ered winners in flat racing. The term " winning horse," with 
reference to those liable to carry extra weight, or to be excluded 
from any race, applies only to winners of hurdle races, value 
$100 and upward, not including the winner's own stake. In 
the absence of conditions welter weights are carried in hurdle 
races. 

Hurdle Racing". This style of racing is said to have 
had its origin in the time of King George IV., when, in the 
absence of better sport a royal hunting party on the Downs 
near Brighton, amused themselves by racing over some flights 
of sheep hurdles. The sport was thought to be so good that 
regular races over hurdles were organized. In the early days 
of the sport the close-wattled hurdle made of hazel was always 
used. These were between four and five feet in height and so 
firmly fastened into the ground that it was not easy to knock 
them down. In more recent times the hurdles were fixed 
loosely in the ground, so that a mere tap would, throw them 
over. The cross-country horse that is a good hurdle-racer 
is regarded as an undeveloped steeplechaser. The hurdles 
are always to be jumped, not run through or knocked down. 
The well trained hurdle-jumper will always judge his distance, 
prepare for the jump, and glide over it, or " take off," easily. 

Hypodermic. A term pertaining to parts under the 
skin ; relating to a remedy, or drug, introduced under the skin 
of the horse by means of a needle or hypodermic syringe. 



Iclentlfication. Facts, testimony, certificates, pedigrees, 
which help to distinguish a person or horse from all other per- 
sons or horses. By the trotting rules, when a horse is nomi- 
nated for a stake or purse, his color, sex, name, age, class, and 
whether entered singly or in a double team, must be given. 
Applied to a person making the entry it includes name, resi- 
dence, post office address, and other facts to establish his iden- 
tification, where personally unknown to the officers of a course. 
Heavy fines and penalties are imposed for refusing to comply 
with such rules, or for making wrong answers to questions. 
Similar rules are enforced by the Turf Congress governing all 
running races. 

lUeg-itimate Racing-. [Eng.] An absurd formula 
used by the sporting press as a synonym for steeplechasing, 
hurdle-racing, and hunters' flat paces. Previous to the estab- 
lishment of the Grand National Hunt committee, these sports 
were unregulated by any code of law, and unrecognized by any 
racing tribunal, and were then properly regarded as illegiti- 
mate. They are now, however, as much under rules as flat 
racing ; notwithstanding, the term continues to be applied to 
them though it has lost its significance. 

In-and-ovit Horse. A horse that is one day good, and 

another off, and not to be depended upon ; either from being 

sick, sore, or from some unknown cause trotting a poor race. 

J. Q. was a peculiar horse and often trotted in-and-oiit races, and some- 
times the public imagines of such a horse tliat liis driver is not 
lionestly trying to win, when the facts of the case are otherwise. — 
Life With the Trotters, John Splan. 

Inbred ; In-and-in Breeding. To breed from ani- 
mals of the same parentage, or from those closely related. 

Infield. The ground or lawn inside of the track or 
course. 

In-liand. [Eq.] A horse is said to be " in hand " when he 
is sensible to the movements of the rider's legs ; bears the spur 
without becoming excited ; does not displace his head or neck, 
thus wasting his force, the reins bearing upon the sides of his 
neck, and is ready for the word of the rider, being in perfect 
equilibrium. 

133 



134 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

In Harness. A trotting race in harness means that the 
performance shall be to a sulky. 

In Line. A term used in attaching pneumatic wheels 
to the old high wheel sulky. The wheels must be in exact line 
in order for the best results as to speed, and also for the life of 
the wheel. If not properly placed in line with the point of 
draught, they will be slower, the stress upon them will be 
greater, and their life will be shorter. 

In-line Trotter. A horse whose stride is in a straight 
line, or the print of whose hind foot at speed, is in line with 
that of his fore foot. It is said that Martha Wilkes goes so 
near to line that a person standing in front of, or behind her 
when at speed, only sees one set of legs. Her stride at a 2:09^ 
gait is eighteen and a half feet. 

Incisors. The twelve front teeth of the horse. There 
are two dentitions of the incisors, the first, known as the milk 
or deciduous teeth ; and the second, or permanent teeth, which 
replace the former at from two and a half to five years of age. 
They are known as the pincher or front teeth ; the intermediate 
teeth, and the corner teeth. 

Indications. [Eq-] The principles of horsemanship 
require that the horse should instantaneously obey the indica- 
tions of the legs and hands of the rider. 

Individuality. That quality, or distinctive characteris- 
tic which distinguishes one horse from another ; peculiarity of 
disposition or make-up. In no animal is this characteristic 
more positive than in the horse. Indeed it may be said with 
truth that every horse is different from every other horse ; that 
in almost no respect are they at all alike. In conformation, 
disposition, gait, ability to acquire knowledge, gift of speed, 
quickness of perception, readiness to obey the driver's or rider's 
will, horses are most unlike. This individuality is a matter for 
the closest study, as it must determine the use of the over-draw 
or side check ; open or blind bridle ; the sort of weights, boots 
and bits ; the manner of shoeing, and a score of other details 
of training and management. Some horses have an abundance 
of speed for every race, others have only one burst of speed in 
a mile. Not only do horses differ widely from each other in 
the matter of gait, but the different feet of the same horse must 
often be shod with peculiar shoes to meet peculiar conditions. 
Hence the mastery of individuality is the first business of the 
trainer, as success can only come from a full understanding of 
the horse's peculiar characteristics, and the means of utilizing 
them to the utmost in the best lines of his service to man. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 135 

Indivisible Prize. An indivisible prize is one in 
which a dead heat is again run for second place, and in which 
the horses running agree to divide the money or run for an 
indivisible prize. 

Inflate. The act of inflating the pneumatic tire of a 
bike sulky previous to a heat, by means of an air-pump. There 
is of course more or less leakage to these tires, consequent 
upon their age, use, etc., hence the act of inflating must be per- 
formed often or less frequently as circumstances require. 

Inherited Qualities. Explained by the quotation : 

Flexibility of artictilav Jip;anieiits may be acquired by (-arly Iraiiiing 
and i-eViilar exercise, but the proportions of the body are'iniierited. 
— Tlie Hoise in Motion, J. D. B. Stillnian. 

Inspectors. Under the old racing rules, a term applied 
to those officers of the course .now known as patrol judges. 

Intercliang'able Gait. A horse that both paces and 
trots, is said to have an "interchangeble gait." 

Interfering. An animal is said to interfere when one 
foot strikes the opposite, as it passes it, in motion. The inner 
surface of the fetlock joint is the part most liable to this injury, 
although it may occur to any part of the ankle. It takes place 
more often in the hind than in the fore legs. It catises a bruise 
of the skin and underlying tissues, and is generally accompan- 
ied by an abrasion of the surface, causing lameness, dangerous 
tripping and thickening of the injured parts. The trouble is 
chiefly due to deformity or faulty conformation, and when 
arising from this cause is not easy to overcome. But in many 
cases it may be prevented by special shoeing. In general, the 
outside heel and qtiarter of the foot on the injured leg should 
be lowered sufficiently to change the relative position of the 
fetlock joint, by bringing it further away from the center plane 
of the body, thereby allowing the other foot to pass by without 
striking. 

Interphalangeal Articulation. One of the joints 
of the foot or leg of the horse, situated between any two suc- 
cessive phalanges of the same leg. 

Intermaxillary Space. A name given to the V- 
shaped channel, or groove, formed by the spread of the 
branches of the lower jaw, — which should be suflaciently deep to 
make its presence quite perceptible. Where this groove is 
not well defined, but clothed with a thick tissue, the head has 
a coarse appearance. This space should be broad between the 
angles of the jaw, in order that the top of the windpipe may 
have abundant room for its action at whatever position of the 
head. 



136 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Iroquois. A remarkable horse, descended from the best 
and most successful racing families in England and America. 
Foaled in 1878. By imported Leamington, son of Faugh-a- 
Ballagh ; dam, Maggie B. B., the dam of Harold, by imported 
Australian ; second dam, Madeline, by Old Boston, out of Mag- 
nolia, dam of Kentucky by imported Glencoe. His color is 
brown, stands 16 hands, with white stripe in the face, white on 
the left fore foot ; he has a well placed, oblique shoulder, good 
barrel, fine hip and loin, and sound, good legs and feet. He 
has been a fine success in the stud. As a two-year-old he won 
the Chesterfield stakes at Newmarket, and Levant stakes at 
Goodwood, England ; as a three-year-oLd he won the Burwell 
stakes, Derby at Epsom, Prince of Wales stakes, Doncaster, 
St. Leger, Newmarket Derby, and other important events in 
England, winning, in nine races, the sum of £16,805. 

Irreg'ular Race. The trotting rules provide that any 
public race at a less distance than one mile, and exceeding 
half a mile, is an irregular race, and time made in any such 
race is a bar. 

Isabel. A family of celebrated pure cream-colored 
horses in Hessenhausen, near Hanover, Germany, from which 
the famous cream-colored horses used by Queen Victoria on 
state occasions are obtained. 

IsabeUa ; Isabelle ; Isabelline. A name applied to 
a horse of a pale brown, or buff color, similar to that of a hare. 
The origin of the color is given by two French writers, Bouillet 
and Littre, but better by Isaac DTsraeli, in his Curiosities of 
Literature. At the beginning of the seventeenth century 
Ostend was being besieged by the Austrians. Isabella, 
daughter of Philip II, and wife of the Archduke Albert, Gov- 
ernor of the Netherlands, vowed not to change her body linen 
till Ostend was taken. The siege, unluckily for her comfort, 
lasted three years — 1601-1604 — but the fair princess kept her 
oath ; and the supposed color of the Archduchess's linen gave 
rise to a fashionable color called VIsabeau, or the Isabella — a 
kind of whitish-yellow-dingy. 



J 

Jack-saddle. Small saddle ; the saddle which sup- 
ports the lugs of a harness, and which, with the back-band, or 
back-strap, is the real keel of the harness. 

Jady. Tired ; worn out ; reduced in condition. 

Jadisli. Said of a horse that is skittish, vicious, tricky. 

Jibbing". Restiveness ; unsteady. A vice. 

Jiinmy, A bad break. 

Jockey. The saddle tree of a harness. 

Jockey. A professional rider of race horses ; often 
applied, though erroneously, to drivers in harness races. The 
Turf Congress rules provide that jockeys cannot ride without 
first having obtained a license, and the requirements governing 
the issuing and recording of licenses are exceedingly strict. 
All licenses are for one year, and expire December 31. Fees 
are regulated by the Congress, [see Fee], and a heavy penalty 
attaches for receiving or offering fees for riding, in excess of 
those stipulated by the rules. If a jockey refuses to ride for 
the fee allowed, he may be fined, suspended or ruled oif. If a 
jockey should own, in whole or in part, a race horse in train- 
ing, he is not allowed to ride horses other than his own. 

Tliat corporate body of men and boys to whose skill, judgment and 
lioiiesty is nltimately entrusted the issue of all turf contests, and 
wlio are, therefore, the arbiters of each racing man's destiny.— The 
Badminton Library: Racing, The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, 
and W. G. Craven. 

Jockeying". Trickery ; a term applied to any fraudu- 
lent transaction concerning a race ; deception in recommend- 
ing or selling a horse. 

Jockey Seat. When he comes to the finish of a race, 
the jockey sits down to ride his horse just as the cavalry sol- 
dier should. 

Jockeyship. The science and art of race riding. 

Jog ; Jog Trot. An idle, listless motion : a slow trot, 
in which the space which the body of the horse passes over 
with its center of gravity unsupported, is very short. 

Jogging. The act of exercising, or working a horse to 
keep him in condition, or to prepare him for a race. There is 

137 



138 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

no development in jogging, and it is wholly a preliminary 
exercise to bring the muscular organization to the point of sus- 
tained, determined action. In jogging, the horse is generally 
attached to a jogging cart, or sulkyette, which is easier for 
both horse and driver than a sulky. There is more motion to 
a bike, in jogging, than ♦to a high wheel sulky, but at speed 
the former rides easier. Eight miles an hour is the usual 
jogging gait. 

Jowl-piece ; Jowl-wrap. A sweat bandage about 
four feet long, one foot wide at one end, tapering to six inches 
at the other end, for binding around the throat and neck. 

For sweating out, tlie throat, or for any purpose that a liood answers, I 
prefer a jowl-piece. The use of heavy sweat-hoods is, I am sure, 
often wealcenine and injurious, and, if used at all, it should be 
witli great discrimination and care. — Training the Trotting Horse, 
Charles Marvin. 

Judges. Every race is under the management of three 
judges, one of whom may be the starter, or a starter may be 
chosen, in addition to the judges. The judges may act as 
timers, or timers may be appointed, independent of the judges. 
Judges must be in the stand fifteen minutes before the time 
for the starting of every race, and they have absolute control 
over all horses, drivers, riders and assistants during a race, 
with authority to appoint assistants, remove or put up drivers 
or riders, and to fine, suspend or expel whosoever fails to obey 
their orders or the trotting rules. The functions of the judges 
cease when they have placed the horses in a race, announced 
the time — subject to objections that have not been decided — 
and affixed their signatures to the clerk's record of the race, 
which must be done before leaving the stand. 

Judging Pace. A trick of the rider or driver, by 
means of which he knows at just what pace his own horse is 
going, compared to that of his opponents ; and by which he is 
able to regulate his speed so that he may have the best possi- 
ble chance of getting home successfully, and selecting the 
exact point from which he ought to make his closing effort at 
the finish. 

Jump. The act, on the part of a horse, of taking or 
clearing a fence, ditch, hedge, hurdle or other obstruction. 
" Throw your heart over the fence," says the maxim, " and the 
horse will follow if he can." It is said that horses can jump 
walls and timber highest and safest when they are just well 
into a canter, or when they have had a trot of twenty yards, 
before approaching a fence, to give them a chance to see some- 
thing of the kind of obstacle they are to get over, and have 
got into their second or third stride of a canter. But the 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 139 

writer in Badminton says it is curious to note, in a steeple- 
chase, that however straight a horse is put at fence, he never 
jumps quite straight, but always lands a little to left or right. 
From various sources in English turf history, accounts of 
remarkable jumps are given, some of which, it must be said, do 
not appear to be absolutely authentic* The horse Proceed is 
said to have cleared thirty-seven feet while running a steeple- 
chase in 1847. A horse called Culverthorn is reported to have 
jumped thirty-three feet on one occasion ; and Lather, a hunter 
owned by Lord Ingestrie, is said to have jumped thirtyrseven feet 
five inches, over a pit. Sir Charles Knightley's horse, the black 
thoroughbred Penvolio, jumped thirty-one feet over a fence 
and brook below Brigworth Hill, in the Patchley Hunt. A 
jump over a brook was made by Old Chandler, a famous 
steeplechaser, ridden by Captain Broadley, in March, 1847, 
while running in the Leamington Cup, Warwick, which meas- 
ured thirty-nine feet, from the hoof-marks on the taking-off to 
the hoof-marks on the landing, from actual measurement. 



K 

Keeping with One's Horses. A term used to 
denote what has been called the easiest of all tactics in a 
running race — that is, to keep with one's horses, the con- 
testants, until the finish, and then to come away if one can. 

Kegging". A form of restiveness; a vice. A restive 
horse is one, under the saddle, that is fidgety and uneasy, yet 
refusing to go on. To overcome the habit, give the horse a 
good shaking up ; a cut or two with the whip, a few digs of 
the spurs, pull him round and round to one side, then to 
another, rein him back, and thus tire him out. 

Kentucky Saddler. A family of celebrated horses, 
native of Kentucky, founded by breeding the thoroughbred 
four-mile race horse, Denmark, by imported Hedgeford, to the 
native or Canadian cross-bred mares of that State ; hence, the 
modern Kentucky saddler is a cross between the thoroughbred 
and the pacer. The horses are very handsome, of good disposi- 
tion, weigh about 1,200 pounds, and are good jumpers. They 
are trained to the flat-footed walk, or ordinary walk ; the run- 
ning walk ; the amble ; the rack, or single foot ; the trot ; the 
canter, and the gallop. 

Keratogenous Membrane ; Keratopyllus Tissue. 
The name of a membrane of the horse's hoof which embraces 
the coronary cushion ; the velvety tissue, or formative organ of 
the sole and frog, and the laminal tissue. 

Kerbs ; Cliestnuts. Epidermal glands on the curb, or 
level of the hock joint ; and on the inside of the knees. See 
Chestnuts. 

Kicking". A serious vice. 

Killing" Big. Making a fortunate strike in the pool-box. 

Kindergarten. The training ground for young colts. 

Kings of the Pacers. To close of 1893 : One mile 
by a gelding — Mascot, by Deceive, Terre Haute, Ind., Septem- 
ber 29, 1892, (race record); and Flying Jib, by Algona, Chi- 
cago, 111., September 15, 1893, (against time), 2:04. One mile 
by a stallion — Direct, by Director, Nashville, Tenn., November 
8, 1892, 2:05|-. One mile to wagon — Roy Wilkes, by Adrian 
Wilkes, Independence, Iowa, October 30, 1891, over kite track, 

140 



HAK"DBOOK OF THE TUKF. 141 

2:13. One mile under saddle — Johnston, by Joe Bassett, 
Cleveland, Ohio, August 3, 1888, 2:13. 

Kings of the Runners. To close of 1893: One 
mile — Salvator, four-year-old, 110 pounds, Monmouth Park, 
August 28, 1890, (against time, straight course). 1:35^; Choris- 
ter, three-year-old, 112 pounds, Morris Park, June 1, 1893, 1:395- 
Two miles — Ten Broeck, five-year-old, 110 pounds, Louisville, 
Ky., May 29, 1877, (against time) ; and Xewton,*four-year-old, 
107 pounds, "Washington Park, Chicago, July 13, 1893, 3:27|-. 
Four miles — Ten Broeck, four-year-old, 104 pounds, Louisville, 
Ky., September 27, 1876, (against time), 7:15f. See Running. 

King^s of the Trotters, Stallion. During the 
period between 1858 and 1894, thirty-six years, there have 
been fifteen stallion kings of the American trotting turf 
which have had their share in reducing the time of one mile 
from 2:30 to 2:05|, viz : 1858 : Ethan Allen, foaled 1849, by 
Black Hawk, dam, Holcomb mare ; l^ew York, October 28 ; 
2.28.— 1859-67 : George M. Patchen, foaled 1849, by Cassius 
M. Clay, dam. Sickles mare; New York, July 7, 1859; 2:26^; 
May 16, 1860; 2:25; May 16, 1860; 2:24; July 2, 1860; 
2:23|-.— 1868: Fearnaught, foaled 1859, by Morrill, dam, 
Jenny by the French horse ; July 29 ; 2:23^.-1868 : George 
Wilkes, foaled 1856, by Hambletonian, dam, Dolly Spanker, 
by Henry Clay, Providence, R. L, October 13 ; 2:22.-1871-73 ; 
Jay Gould, foaled 1864, by Hambletonian, dam. Lady Sanford 
by American Star; Buffalo, N. Y., August 11, 2:22; August 
7, 1872; 2:21|-.— 1874-1884 : During this period the crown 
was held by Smuggler, with the exception of one month in 
1874, when it was held by Mambrino Gift. Smuggler was 
foaled 1866, by Blanco, dam, the Irwin mare; Buffalo, N". Y. 
August 5, 1874, 2:20|; Boston, Mass., September 15, 1874; 
2:20; Philadelphia, Pa., July 15, 1876; 2:17^; Philadelphia, 
Pa., July 15, 1876; 2:17; Cleveland, Ohio, July 27, 1876; 
2:16i; Rochester, N. Y., August 10, 1876; 2:15|; Hartford, 
Conn.; August 31, 1876; 2:15|. Mambrino Gift, foaled 1866, 
by Mambrino Pilot, dam, Waterwitch by Pilot Jr. ; Rochester, 
K Y.; August 13, 1874; 2:20.-1884: Phallas, foaled 1877, 
by Dictator, dam, Betsy Trotwood, by Clark Chief; Chicago, 
lU., July 14; 2:13|. The above are all records obtained in 
races ; the records obtained below, with the exception of the 
last race made by Directum, are races against time. 1884-88: 
Maxie Cobb, foaled 1875, by Happy Medium, dam. Lady 
Jenkins by Black Jack ; Providence, R. L ; September, 30 ; 
2:13|.— 1889 : Axtell, foaled 1886, by William L., dam, Lou, 
by Mambrino Boy, Terre Haute, Ind., October 11; 2:12 



142 HANDBOOK or THE TUEF. 

1890-91: Nelson, foaled 1882, by Young Rolfe, dam, 
Gretchen, by Gideon, Kankakee, 111., September 20, 1890 ; 
2:11|-; Terre Haute, Ind., October 9; 2:11|; Cambridge City, 
Ind., October 21 ; 2:10| ; Grand Rapids, Mich., September 17, 
1891; 2:10. AUerton, foaled 1886, by Jay Bird, dam, Gussie 
Wilkes by Mambrino Boy, Independence, Iowa, September 4. 
1891; 2:10; Independence, Iowa, September 19, 1891; 2:09|. 
— 1891 : Palo Alto, foaled 1882, by Electioneer, dam. Dame 

Winnie by Planet, Stockton, Cal., I^ovember 17; 2:08| - 

1892: Kremlin, foaled 1887, by Lord Russell, dam, Eventide, 
by Woodford Mambrino, Nashville, Tenn., November 5; 
2:08i; Nashville, Tenn., November 12; 2:07f.— 1893: Direc- 
tum, foaled 1889, by Director, dam, Stemwinder, by Venture, 
New York; September 4, 2:07; Chicago, 111.; September, 15; 
2:06|- ; Nashville, Tenn., October 18 ; 2:05f 

Kite. The kite-shaped track. 

Kite Track. A track so called because in shape it 
resembles a kite, having only one turn, the stretches bearing 
towards each other instead of running parallel, and finally <3on- 
verging at a point. On such a track the horses are started 
from a wire stretched from one side of the judges' stand to the 
opposite side of the track; and finish under another wire 
stretched from the opposite side of the judges' stand from that 
by, or from which, they are sent away. All kite tracks are 
one mile between these two wires. It is said that kite-shaped 
tracks were laid out on the ice in Canada as early as 1870; 
but the first one in the United States was devised by W^illiam 
B. Fasig of New York, and built by him for C. W. Williams 
of Independence, low^a. Work upon it was commenced in the 
fall of 1889, and it was completed in the spring of 1890, the 
first meeting over it having been held in the fall of 1890. To 
the close of 1893 kite tracks had been built at Independence, 
Iowa ; Rockf ord. 111. ; Sturgis, Mich. ; Columbia, Tenn. ; 
Meadville, Penn. ; Newark, N. Y. ; Chillicothe, Ohio; Stock- 
ton, Cal. ; Old Orchard, Maine. 

I claim it is the fastest form of a track, because there is but one turn 
to make, and that a long, easy one, rendering it nearer a straight 
mile tlian can be seciired by any other arrangement. In addition 
to the increase of speed to be obtained incident to making one turn 
instead of two, every horse in a race, except the pole horse, Avould 
trot a shorter mile than on the regiilation track. Assuming the 
second position on a track to be six feet from the pole — and it is 
undoubtedly more tlian that distance — a horse in second position 
trots, on a regulation track, tliirty-seven and seven-tenths feet 
furtlier tlian at the pole. On the kite-shaped track, in second 
position, he trots but twenty-two feet further, making a saving in 
distance of fifteen and seven-tenths feet. It has but one disadvant- 

i age that occurs to rae, and that is, that no heat longer than one 
mile could be trotted upon it. But for fast time at mile distances 
it would certainly eclipse any other form.— W. B. Fasig, in Spirit of 

' the Times, December, 24, 1887. 



HA-I^^DBOOK OF THE TUKF. 143 

Knee. The carpal articulation, or proper wrist-joint of 
the horse; the joint between the two principal parts of the 
fore leg. 

Knee-pads. Pads or rolls placed on the flaps of a sad- 
dle to help prevent the rider's knees from going too far 
forward. 

Knees, Swollen. A legal unsoundness in a horse. 

Knock. To " take the knock," is to lose more money to 
the bookmakers than one can pay, and thus to be incapaci- 
tated from approaching the ring. 

Knock the Knees. A knee-knocker ; a horse which in 
speeding fast hits the right knee with the inside, or toe, of the 
left front foot ; or the left knee with the right front foot. In 
shoeing, the outside of the foot towards the toe should be 
lowered, with most of the weight on the inside, and the knee- 
joint should be properly booted. 

Knuckling Over Behind. A stumble with one of 
the hind feet. The trick can generally be cured by lowering 
the foot if it be too long, and reducing it under the toe, so as 
to set the slope of the hoof at an angle of about 55 deg. 
Until cured it is a legal unsoundness. 

Koomrah. The wild horse of Northern Africa. 



Liameness. All lameness, whether of a permanent or 
temporary character, is a legal unsoundness. 

liamina; liaininse. A thin scale, leaf or membrane; 
the lamellar structure of the horse's foot. There are from five 
to six hundred of these leaves in each foot. They run parallel 
to each other, and are separated by deep channels, into which 
are joined, by a dovetailed arrangement, similar leaves on the 
inside of the wall of the hoof. They extend from the white 
zone, between the coronary cushion, to the plantar border of 
the foot, terminating in large prolongations lodged in the 
horny tubes at the circumference of the sole. While these 
leaves are exceedingly tenacious, they have great expansive 
capacity. Mons. Bouley, an eminent French hippopathologist, 
affirms that their elasticity is equal to one-fourth of an inch, 
both in the lateral and the longitudinal directions ; the entire 
laminae, therefore, have a combined capacity of more than 
one hundred and fifty inches of expansive force. 

Ijaminitis. An inflammation of the sensitive parts of 
the foot; formerly known as founder, and chest-founder. It 
is chiefly confined to the sensitive laminae, or leaves, which 
unite the wall of the hoof to the parts within ; and of these, 
the leaves in the front of the foot are most seriously affected, 
although generally the entire fleshy portion of the foot is 
involved. While the fore feet are those most frequently 
affected, the hind feet may also suffer, and, in certain instances, 
all the feet may be inflamed. Among the chief causes of this 
terrible affliction are a sudden chill from drinking cold water 
when heated and fatigued, and overloading the stomach with 
grain ; though why certain kinds of grain will cause it has not 
yet been clearly ascertained by the best veterinarians. The dis- 
ease is always insidious in its attack, and destructive to the 
horse. It is a legal unsoundness, 

Lanipas. A congestive and swollen condition of the 
fleshy lining, or soft parts, of the roof of the mouth, immedi- 
ately behind the upper front teeth. 

Landing". Referring to the finish of a heat or race, as 
in the expression, "the horses made a fine landing." 

144 



HAiTDBOOK OF THE TURF. 145 



liapped. It is said of horses in a finish, when so close 

to each other that only a length separates some of them, and 

when others are so near their opponents as to have their heads 

over the other's backs, that they are "lapped." 

They all finished lapped oJi each other.— Life with the Trotters, John 
Sphin. 

Lapped Track. A short track. Time made on a 
lapped track is accepted, provided it is lapped a sufficient dis- 
tance to make the horse trot a full mile three feet from the 
pole. 

Lateral Cartilag'es. Tissues attached to each side of 
the wings of the coffin bone, whose function is to assist the 
frog and its connected structiu'es to regain their normal posi- 
tion, after having been displaced by the weight of the body 
while the foot rested on the ground. 

Lateral Gait. The pace. The pacer, like the trotter, 
moves two feet in the same direction simultaneously, then 
alternates with the other two ; but in place of the fore leg and 
the hind leg of opposite sides, he moves in unison the fore and 
hind leg of one side, then the fore and hind leg of the other 
side. Hence the pace is called the " lateral gait." 

Lateral Strain ; Lateral Stress. A stress at right 
angles to the strain which produces it, or at right angles to a 
line of motion, or strain; the sidewise strain which comes 
upon a sulky wheel in going around the curves of a track. 

Lavender. [Eng.] " In lavender " is said of a man or 
a horse to denote that he is ill ; unfit ; out of condition. 

LaTF. The racing, or speeding, of horses is not illegal, 
or against public policy. This is evident from the fact that 
State legislatures expressly authorize it to be done by certain 
corporate bodies. The offering of a premium, or reward, to 
those competing in such races, when such premiums or rewards 
are not a mere cover or disguise for betting, is not illegal. 
The party entering a race, if a winner, may recover the pre- 
mium, though he paid an entrance fee which went to make up 
such premium. Where the judges of a horse race had discre- 
tionary power to exclude a horse violating a certain rule from 
further participation in the race, their decision allowing the 
horse to proceed after a violation should not be set aside, 
except upon the grounds of clear proof of fraud affecting such 
decision. These points are well established by the case, Porter 
vs. Day, et cd. [Reports of Cases in the Supreme Court of Wis- 
consin, Chicago, 111., 1888; Vol. LXXI, p. 296-304.] In a 
race over the Eau Claire Driving Park Association in Septem- 
ber, 1885, trotted under National Rules, Porter entered a horse, 

10 



146 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Sorrel George, in a ^150 purse, paying an entrance of $30. 
The defence was that the plaintiff did not comply with the 
rules, as his horse paced instead of trotted, and could not 
have won had he trotted instead of paced. Verdict for plain- 
tiff. Defendants appealed, and contended that the contract 
was void as against public policy. Only two points were con- 
sidered : 1st. Was the contract void or illegal under common 
law. 2d. Was there sufficient evidence of fraud on the part of 
the plaintiff to avoid the decision of the judges of the race in 
his favor, by allowing him to keep hi the race. Finding of 
the full bench : 1st. The speeding of horses is not illegal, as 
the Legislature would not allow corporate bodies to do that 
which was against the policy of the State. 2d. No case is 
made out for setting aside the decisions of the judges at the 
time of the race. The plaintiff's horse fairly won three of the 
five heats. The only doubt as to the right of the plaintiff to 
the money, is that in the third heat, (when the plaintiff's horse 
did not win), he was so managed by his driver that he violated 
the rules governing the race, and should have been excluded 
from further competition for the reward. There is nothing in 
evidence to show that the judges were, in duty bound, to 
exclude the plaintiff's horse ; and the decision of the judges 
cannot be overruled in order to give the reward to some other 
competitor, except by showing a clear case of fraud. In the 
third heat the plaintiff's horse paced most of the way, but 
admitting this, it was within the discretion of the judges to 
permit him to go again. This discretionary power to exclude 
the horse must be exercised by the judges before the next heat 
is run, and having exercised that power and permitted the 
horse to go again and win the race, nothing but the clearest 
case of fraud, on the part of the owner of the horse, should be 
allowed to set aside the decision of the judges of the race. 'No 
fraud was shown, and the decision of the judges of the race 
must stand. Judgment of the Circuit Court affirmed. 

Books of veterinary practice cannot be read to a jury in 
argument. In the case of Washburn vs. Cuddihy, in Massa- 
chusetts Reports, 8 Gray, p. 430, 1861, counsel for the plain- 
tiff proposed to read from Dadd's " Veterinary Surgery," a 
description of the habit of cribbing, in horses, as a better 
mode of showing the jury what cribbing was, but the opposing 
counsel objected, and the court sustained the objection. In 
sustaining the objection, Judge Briggs said that where such 
books are thus offered, they are, in effect, used as evidence, 
and the substantial objection is that they are statements want- 
ing the sanction of an oath ; and the statement thus proposed 



HAis^DBOOK OP THE TUEF. 147 

is made by one who is not present, and therefore not liable to 
cross-examination. If the same author were cross-examined, 
and called to state the gromids of his opinion, he might, him- 
self, alter or modify it, and it would be tested by a comparison 
with the opinions of others. Moreover, the range of subjects 
in the veterinary art are not open to persons of common expe- 
rience, hence they are not qualified to judge regarding them, 
and it is not competent for counsel to use them in argument 
against the objection of the other side. 

In the New York Supreme Court, Justice Gaynor, of 
Brooklyn, rendered an opinion. May 28, 1894, that horse rac- 
ing is not a lottery. The opinion was given in the case of 
Philip Dwyer, President of the Brooklyn Jockey Club, accused" 
of " contriving, proposing and maintaining a lottery." Acting 
for the association, of which he was president, the defendant 
advertised and organized a horse race to be run May 15, 1894. 
The race was to be open to aU thoroughbred horses three years 
old and upwards, which horses, in order to run, had to be dnly 
entered on the books of the association. An entry fee of ^250 
was charged, part of which was to be remitted in the case of 
horses withdrawn before the race. The race was to be for a 
stake of $25,000, of whicli. ."il 8,000 was to go to the winner, 
$5,000 to the second horse, and $2,000 to the third horse. 
The stake was to be made up by the association adding to the 
total of the entry moneys a sufficient sum for that pm'pose. 
This is what the complainant calls a lottery ; and in rendering 
his opinion. Justice Gaynor said : " There is no foundation 
for his contention. It is not a lottery, either in common 
speech or within legal definition. A lottery depends on lot or 
chance, such as the casting of lots, the throwing of dice or the 
turning of a wheel. Human intelligence, judgment or skill 
plays no part in the determination of the result. In the 
scheme of this race, horse owners do not pay a sum to win a 
larger sum by lot or chance, but in order to enter into the 
contest of skill, endm^ance and speed upon which the stake 
depends, in which intelligence, sagacity and good judgment 
play a very important part in the deterinination of the result." 
Racing horses for stakes was made penal by the Xew York 
statute of 1802, and the same provision, coming from the 
beginning down the distinct lines of legislation, known as 
"Lotteries" and "Gaming," is now found in Section 352 of 
the Penal Code, which, in so many words, makes all racing or 
trials of speed between horses or other animals for any bet, 
stake or reward, a misdemeanor; and it indisputably covers 
the facts of this case, viz. : The racing of horses for contrib- 
uted stakes. But by Chapter 479 of the laws of 1887 the 



148 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

operation of this section is suspended during thirty days in 
each year on the grounds of the said association, and all like 
associations, and the day of the race on which the alleged 
offense is predicated was one of those days. 

Law. Compendium of the laws and statutes of the dif- 
ferent States in regard to racing, trotting, ringing, disguising, 
welching, betting, book-making, pool-selling, fraudulent entries 
and change of name of horses : 

Alabama: Race tracks must be licensed; towns and cities 
of less than five thousand inhabitants pay $100 annually; 
those of over that number .|200. 

Arkansas: A race course is prohibited within three miles 
of any institution of learning, under a fine of not less than $50, 
nor more than $1,000. 

Connecticut: For entering any horse, mare, gelding, colt 
or filly for any prize, stake, purse, preinium or sweepstake 
under an assumed or false name, or out of its proper class ; or 
for misrepresenting the previous performance of a horse when 
he is entered, is punishable by a fine not to exceed $1,000, or 
imprisonment not exceeding three years, or both. Bets on 
horse racing are void. Pool-selling or book-making on any 
race is punishable by a fine of $500, or imprisonment not 
more than one year, or both. Horse racing within two miles 
of ^ny public assembly or religious meeting in a field, is pun- 
ishable by a fine of from $8 to $50, or imprisonment for thirty 
days. 

Delaware: Stallions kept for service must be licensed; 
betting on a horse race is punishable by a fine of $30. 

Florida: Associations for the purpose of driving, racing, 
or otherwise improving the speed and breed of horses, duly 
incorporated, or which shall be incorporated in the future, are 
allowed the privilege of selling pools, except between the first 
day of November and the first day of May of each year ; and 
all pool-selling shall be confined to the track, and on days only 
on which the races take place. All associations shall pay to 
the State three per cent, on the gross receipts for admissions to 
the tracks or grounds. Racing within one mile of a camp- 
meeting is punishable by a fine of $20. 

Georgia: Entering a horse in a race under a false name, 
or out of his proper class or division, is punishable by a fine 
not to exceed $1,000 ; imprisonment not to exceed six months, 
or to work in the chain-gang on the public works not to 
exceed twelve months. 

Idaho : To mark or brand any horse, mare, colt, jack or 
other animal not belonging to the person so marking it ; to 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 149 

change such brand, or to steal such animal, is punishable by a 
fine of from $25 to $300, or by imprisonment six months, or 
both. 

Illinois : There shall be no racing within one mile of a 
camp meeting, or on the public highway, under a penalty of 
a fine of |100. 

Indiana: Making a false entry for any purse, prize, pre- 
mium, stake, or sweepstake, offered by any agricultural society, 
association, person, or persons, is punishable by imprisonment 
in State prison not less than one, nor more than three years, or 
in the county jail in the county where convicted not less than 
six months, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000. The name of a 
horse shall not be changed after once having contested for a 
prize, except as prescribed by the code of printed rules of the 
society or association. Registry of the pedigrees of stallions 
kept for service must be made with the county clerk. Betting 
or buying pools on any trial of speed is punishable by a fine of 
from $5 to $100, or imprisonment from ten days to three months. 

Iowa : To enter or drive any horse, mare, gelding, colt, or 
filly, for any prize, purse, premium, stake, or sweepstake, under 
an assumed name or out of its proper class, is punishable by 
imprisonment in the penitentiary not more than three years ; in 
the county jail where convicted not more than one year, or by 
a fine not exceeding $1,000. Provisions with reference to pool- 
selling, or book-making, do not apply to races taking place upon 
grounds or within enclosures controlled by agricultural societies 
and driving associations duly incorporated. 

Kentucky: For entering a horse in any race under an 
assumed name or out of its class, or for fraudulently misrepre- 
senting the public performance of a horse as to time made, is 
punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not more than 
one year, in the penitentiary not more than two years, or b}^ a 
fine not exceeding $1,000. The name of a horse shall not be 
changed after he has made a public performance except in 
accordance with the rules of the racing association. No minor 
shall ride a race, practice a horse to run, or break a horse to 
ride, under a fine of $100 paid by his parent, master or 
guardian. 

Maine : Ringing, disguising, or making false entries of a 
horse in a race is punishable by a fine of $500, or by imprison- 
ment not exceeding six months. Stallions kept for service 
must be recorded in the county registry where kept, by giving 
name, color, size, and pedigree. Failure to so register, or for 
making a false entry of pedigree for record, is punishable by a 
fine of $100. 



150 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 



Massachusetts : For making an entry of a painted or dis- 
guised horse, or a horse different from the one purported to be 
entered or driven, for the purpose of competing in a class or 
for a purse or premium in which lie does not belong, the law im- 
poses a fine not exceeding t|500, or imprisonment not exceeding 
six months. Pool-selling on races is punishable by one year's 
imprisonment, or by a fine iioz exceeding $2,000, or both. The 
owner of a stallion kept for breeding purposes must file a cer- 
tificate giving the name, color, age, and size of the same, with 
his pedigree, with the clerk of the city or town for record. 
Failure to do so is punishable by a fine of $100 ; and for a 
false pedigree or false certificate of registry the penalty is 
ninety days in jail, or a fine of $300, or both. 

Maryland : Stallions kept for service must be recorded with 
the clerk of the Circuit Court of the county where kept, such 
record giving the name, age, pedigree, and record of the stallion. 
Failure to record, or the recording of a false pedigree is 
punishable by the recovery of such damage '' as may be shown 
to have been sustained by reason of such false and fraudulent 
representation." For entering any horse under a false name, 
or out of its proper class, is punishable by imprisonment in the 
penitentiary not less than one nor more than three years, in the 
county jail not less than six months, or by a fine not exceeding 
$1,000. Book-making, pool-selling, or betting on horse races is 
allowed on the grounds of any agricultural association in the 
State during the days on which the fairs of such associations 
shall be actually held, or upon any race course or driving park. 
For book-making, or pool-selling on races other than as above 
provided the penalty is a fine not exceeding $500. 

Michigan : The giving of premiums by societies and asso- 
ciations for running or trotting at fairs and regular appointed 
meets shall not be illegal or unlawful ; but all running, trotting, 
or pacing, unless allowed by special laws for that purpose, are 
misdemeanors, punishable by a fine of $500, or by imprison- 
ment one year, or both. The entering of any horse, mare, geld- 
ing, colt, or filly under an assumed or false name, or out of its 
proper class or division, for any prize, stake, purse, premium, 
or sweepstake, offered by any agricultural society or driving 
club, is punishable by imprisonment in the State Prison not 
exceeding three years, or by a fine not exceeding $1,000, or 
both. " The class or division in which an entry is made shall 
be determined by the rules and regulations of the societ}^, 
organization, or association, under whose auspices the contest 
is to be conducted, and the published terms and conditions 
under which the prize, purse, premium, stake or sweepstake is 



HAIfTDBOOK OF THE TURF. 151 

offered, opened or announced." " The name of any horse, mare, 
gelding, colt, or filly shall be the name by which it is known 
under and according to the rules and regulations of such society, 
organization or association ; and the name by w^hich such horse 
has once competed for any prize, shall be regarded as its true 
name unless changed as provided by the rules of the associa- 
tions or societies." 

Minnesota: To enter for competition, or for any prize, 
premium, sweepstake, purse, or stake, by any agTicultural or 
other association ; or to drive or handle any horse," mare, geld- 
ing, colt, or filly, out of its proper class, is punishable by 
imprisonment in the State Prison not less than one nor more 
than five years. Persons misrepresenting or fraudulently con- 
cealing the public performance of the animal which he, she, or 
they, propose to enter, in any former contest, is liable to the 
same penalty as above, " irrespective of success as to the entry 
offered." 

Missouri: Book-m.aking and pool-selling on races, except 
when done within the grounds where such races occur is a felony 
punishable by fine or imprisonment. 

Montana : Ko race ground shall be opened on the first day 
of the week. 

Neio Hampshire : The registry of stallions kept for service 
must be made with the Secretary of the Board of Agriculture ; 
and for failure to make such registry, (giving name, age, 
color, and pedigree) ; or for giving a false statement in such 
pedigree, the penalty is a fine of $100. 

New York : All racing is a misdemeanor except such as is 
allowed by special laws to societies and associations ; and all 
parties engaged in racing, other than when so allow^ed are sub- 
ject to a fine of .|500, and all public officers are empow^ered to 
prevent such races. The penalty for contributing to a plate, 
stake, or purse, not authorized by such special law, is a fine of 
$25. Racing in the town of iSTew Utrecht, whether for a stake 
or not, is a misdemeanor, subject to fine and imprisonment. 
To enter a horse in a race, under an assumed name, or out of 
its proper class, is punishable by imprisonment in the State 
Prison for a term not more than three years, or in the county 
jail in the county where convicted, not more than one year, or 
by fine not exceeding $1,000. [Class is determined in the same 
manner, and the change of name of a horse in the same way, 
as by the law in Michigan.] The act of fraudulently conceal- 
ing the result of any public performance of a horse in any 
former contest of speed, is punishable in same manner and 



152 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

amount, as above. Pool-selling or book-making outside of any 
race track or grounds on which racing is had, conducted by- 
racing associations duly incorporated for the purpose of improv- 
ing the breed of horses, is a felony, punishable by imprisonment 
in State Prison not less than one, nor more than five years. A 
tax of five per cent, on the gross receipts of admissions to the 
race grounds on race days, is payable to the Comptroller of the 
State. The number of days upon which races may be con- 
ducted is limited to thirty days in each year. All racing and 
pool-selling shall be confined to the period between the 15th 
day of May, and the 15th day of October, of each year; and 
all pool-selling shall be confined to the tracks where the races 
take place and on the days when the races take place. The tax 
on receipts, paid to the State, is applied as a fund for purses 
"for improving the breed of cattle, sheep, and horses at the 
various county fairs throughout the State." It is a felony to 
engage in pool-selling except as before stated. 

New Jersey : Race courses must be licensed ; owners, 
jockeys, and trainers must be allowed the privileges of the race 
course unless they have been ruled off for fraud ; no person or 
persons can make up stakes or purses, except those connected 
with the management of fairs or agricultural societies duly 
incorporated or authorized by law, under a penalty of six 
months imprisonment or a fine of ^100, or both ; it is unlawful 
to maintain a race course not used prior to January 1, 1893, 
unless a resolution is filed with the Secretary of State, adopted 
by three-fourths of the members of the board of chosen free- 
holders of the county in which such race course is proposed to 
be maintained,that it is a public necessity. Book-making is not 
a misdemeanor when carried on within the exterior enclosures 
of the grounds of any race course, of any agricultural society 
or other incorporated body, provided such book-making is car- 
ried on only on the days of the races of said society or body. 
It is unlawful to permit the racing, running, trotting or pacing 
of horses between the first day of December of any year, and 
the first day of March of the succeeding year, under a fine of 
^1,000 or not over ^10,000, or imprisonment from six months to 
two years, or both — this law to be enforced by the state police 
or the militia of the State. " Welching " is made a penal 
offence. 

North Carolina: For entering a horse under an assumed 
name or out of his proper class, for any purse or stake, a fine 
of from $200 to $1,000 is imposed, or imprisonment in the 
penitentiary from one to five years, or both, at the discretion 
of the court. 



HAl^^DBOOK OF THE TUBF. 153 

North Dakota : Racing on the Sabbath, or near any relig- 
ious meeting, is prohibited ; and all racing is a misdemeanor 
unless authorized by special laws. 

Ohio: For entering a horse under an assumed name, or 
out of his proper class, for any purse or in any race, is punish- 
able by imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than one, 
nor more than three years. The same punishment as the 
above is imposed for painting or disguising a horse ; and also 
for concealing the real performance of any horse in any former 
contest or trial of speed. [Class is determined, and names of 
horses can only be legally changed, the same as by the law of 
Michigan.] 

Pennsylvania : For entering a horse out of his class for 
any purse, prize, stake or premium, the penalty is imprison- 
ment not exceeding, six months, or a fine not exceeding $500, 
or both. Stallions must be recorded in the^ records of the 
clerk of the court of quarter sessions of each county, under 
penalty of the forfeiture of the service fees, and the recovery 
of such damages as may be shown to have been sustained by 
reason of such false and fraudulent representation, where a 
false pedigree has been presented for registry. 

South Dakota : Whoever enters a horse for any race under 
an assumed name, changes the name of any horse entered in 
any race, except by virtue of the code of printed rules of the 
society or association opening the purse or stake, or enters any 
horse out of his regular class, [determined the same as by the 
law of Michigan], shall be guilty of a misdemeanor and so 
punished, at the discretion of the court. 

Tennessee : It is unlawful gaming to bet or wager in any 
way upon any race track, (applying to trotting and pacing, as 
well as running horses), unless the race track upon which the 
race is run, trotted or paced, be enclosed by a substantial fence, 
and the bet or wager to be made within said enclosure, upon a 
race to be made within said enclosure. It is unlawful to sell 
pools or make any betting book or combination upon any race, 
unless the same be conducted by the authority of a law- 
fully chartered or incorporated blood-horse or turf association, 
and then only in the county in which the association or fair 
may be located. 

Texas : Penalty for giving a false pedigree of a horse, or 
a false certificate of sale. 

Vermont: Agricultural societies, corporations and asso- 
ciations authorized to hold public fairs, are authorized to offer 
premiums, or purses, for success in competition of horses or 



154 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

horse kind in respect to speed, under their own rules and reg- 
ulations publicly advertised, not in conflict with the laws of 
the State ; and to establish and designate classes of horses or 
horse kind, with respect to the previous exhibitions of speed 
of such animals, or to any other reasonable and lawful grounds 
of classification, as set forth in such publicly advertised rules 
and regulations. Whoever enters or drives any horse, or ani- 
mal of the horse kind, that shall have been painted or dis- 
guised, or shall fraudulently represent any animal of the horse 
kind to be another or different animal from the one it really 
is, or enters or drives any horse or animal of the horse kind in 
a class where it is not entitled to be entered, under the rules 
and regulations of the society or association offering such pre- 
mium or purse, and upon conviction, shall be punished by a 
fine of not more than $500, or imprisonment not exceeding 
six months. 

Virginia: It is unlawful for any person, or persons, or 
association of persons to make, write or sell books, pools or 
mutuals on the result of any trotting race or running race of 
horses, under a penalty of not less than $200 nor more than 
$500, or imprisonment not less than thirty nor more than 
ninety days. 

Washington: Any corporation duly formed to establish, 
maintain and manage any driving park, (the same as any asso- 
ciation for improving tlie breed of domestic animals), may 
have grounds for improving and testing the speed of horses, 
and may offer and award prizes for competition ; but no racing 
for any bet or wager shall be allowed. 

Wisconsin : To enter any horse, ■ mare, gelding, colt or 
filly under an assumed name, or out of its proper class, in any 
purse or stake, is punishable by imprisonment for not less 
than one nor more than three 3-ears ; or six months in the jail 
of the county where convicted ; or in any sum not exceeding 
$1,000. The name of any horse shall not be changed, except 
as provided by the rules and regulations of the association or 
society opening and offering the purse or stake. Class shall 
be determined by the public performance of said horse in any 
former contest or trial of speed, as provided by the printed 
rules of the society or association under which the proposed 
contest is advertised to be conducted. 

Wyoming: Grants the right to establish and maintain 
parks, grounds or race courses for the trial of speed, and the 
development or training of horses, with the right to offer and 
award premiums. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. ^ 155 

Ijaw of Motion* The law of perfect locomotion in the 
horse, as in all other quadrupeds, requires uniform support to 
the center of gravity, and continuous propulsion by each 
extremity or leg, in turn. 

LaAV of tlie Track. The rule, or law, of the road is 
reversed on the track ; that is, horses meeting always pass on 
the left side. Horses working on a track usually jog several 
miles before they are called on to go fast. As all races are 
trotted with the horses going around the track to the left, or, 
in other words, they are started from the left of the judges' 
stand, it has come to be called the right way of the track ; and 
horses going the other way, or to the right, the wrong way of 
the track. Hence, it has long been recognized that all horses 
working at speed, in order to prevent collisions and accidents, 
shall go the right way of the track, next to the pole, and have 
the right of way. This causes the horses jogging to take the 
wrong way of the track, or the outside, hence the rule of the 
road is reversed. If horses were allowed to speed both to the 
right and left of the track, confusion and innumerable acci- 
dents would result. 

Liay. A felt or fancy leather housing to place under a 
saddle pad on the back of the horse. 

Lay. To stake, or wager ; to put doT^^l, or deposit a bet 
on a contingency or future event. 

Lay Up ; Laying- Up Heats. The act of driving so 
as not to win ; being in the field with the starters, but going 
easily the entire heat. Laying up takes place for many rea- 
sons. A driver may quietly lay up a heat, that he may have 
his horse fresh for a succeeding heat ; or he may lay up the 
first part of a heat, that he may have some speed left for the 
stretch and finish. But it is believed that no driver can lay 
up a heat successfully unless he has the ability to evenly rate 
the mile. It was foi-merly a National rule that a driver could 
lay up one heat in a race, with the consent of the judges ; but 
such rule has been stricken from the code. In reality, it was 
always meant that each horse should trot to win each and 
every heat, and the only departure ever intended to be allowed 
was, that the winning of the race being the primary object, a 
driver could only favor his horse sufficiently to save his best 
efforts when the pinch became necessary to secure that end. 
Most of the great drivers object to this de\dce. Mr. ]Mar\dn 
says : " The laying up of heats is seldom necessary, and should 
never be done unless one is sure it will materially better his 
chances of winning the race, and this will not be the case as 
often as some seem to think." I\lr. Splan says: "I have 



156 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

seen men go out to lay up a heat and lay it all up in the first 
half mile, and then have to drive the last half as fast as they 
could, and in that way make the heat as hard on the horse as 
though they had tried to win the heat with him." 

Lay Over Him. To have more speed than an oppo- 
nent ; to hold over him. 

Leaded Saddles. Weighted saddles for use when 
dead weight is to be put on ; or for trials when the trainer 
does not want his jockeys to know more than he can help. 

Ijeading" Horse. The pace-maker in a heat. Such 
horse is entitled to any part of the course, in a heat, with the 
exception of the homestretch. See Homestretch. 

Leap. The projection of the body off the ground by 
means of the hind limbs, after the forehead has been raised. 
As the horse approaches a barrier at a run, the instant it is 
observed he begins to shorten his steps, and, apparently, meas- 
ure its distance, preparatory to taking it. The leap cannot be 
considered as a pace ; for although it is a mode of progression, 
it is not a continuous one. 

Leg, A Good. Indications of a good leg are : The 

shape of the bone should be broad and flat ; good size below 

the knee; large sized cannons, with strong, clean, back sinews 

and suspensory ligaments. They should be firm and hard, 

smooth to the touch, indicating an entire absence of adipose 

tissue; the joints large and well defined, entirely free from 

abnormal appendages ; firm, elastic cords ; a short pastern, and 

short from hock and knee to pastern. 

The ordeal of the race course, and more especially the trotting coiirse, 
is very trying upon the legs and feet, and here soundness and 
quality of the highest order is essential. The turf horse that is 
always troubled with" a leg" is a nuisance. — Horse Breeding, J. 
H. Sanders. 

Legs. Swollen legs, from whatever cause, are an 
unsoundness until cured. 

Legrgins. A part of a jockey's rig ; also worn in hunt- 
ing and when riding. Of various patterns and styles, both 
full length and short or half-size, the former extending above, 
and the latter fitting below the knee. 

Lesion. Any wound or injury to the physical system ; 
a morbid change in the structure of the bodily organs, not 
outward changes only, but those which are indicated by an 
interruption of any of the normal functions of the system. 

Let Him Out. To give a horse his head ; to let him 

go at speed. 

When I gave Kansas his head he went to them without an effort, and 
won tlie lieat by a neck Avith something to spare.— Life with the 
Trotters, John Si^lau. 



HATS'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 157 

Lietters. Worn on the arms of drivers, equally with 
figures, to indicate the positions of the horses they drive or 
ride in a heat or race. 

Ijevel. A horse is said to trot level when he goes square 
and perfect, with no forging, cutting, interfering or striking; 
the perfection of the trotting gait. 

liCvers. The branches of a bit. 

Liability. [Law.] A horse breaker or trainer is liable 
for any damage which, through his negligence, may happen to 
the horse which he is handling. 

liien. [Law.] It has been held that where a horse was 
sold, payment being made by check, and the horse placed in 
the hands of a third party till the check was cashed, as it was 
dishonored, the vendor had not given up possession. JSTo con- 
ditional or temporary arrangement by which the buyer gets 
possession of a horse will forfeit the seller's lien. An auc- 
tioneer has a lien on the price of a horse when paid for his 
charges and commissions, and may bring an action in his own 
name therefor. Where the rules of a repository or mart pro- 
vide that in certain cases of dispute the horse shall be tried by 
an impartial person, and the expense of trial in case the horse 
does not answer his warranty is to fall on the seller, the keeper 
of the repository has a specific lien on the horse until such 
expense is paid. A farrier has a lien upon a horse for his 
charges, which covers, however, only the work done at the 
particular time. It does not cover any previous account. The 
horse breaker, by whose skill the horse is rendered manageable, 
has a lien upon him for his charges, which is favored by the 
law, being consistent with the principles of natural equity. A 
stable keeper or trainer has a lien for the keep and exercise of 
a horse sent to him for the purpose of being trained, and the 
lien extends to the labor and skill employed on a race horse by 
a trainer; but if, by usage or contract, the owner send the 
horse to run at any race he chooses and select the jockey, the 
trainer has no continuing right of possession and consequently 
no lien. A stallion is entitled to a specific lien on the mare 
for the charge of service. A livery stable keeper cannot detain 
a horse for his keep, as an inn keeper may, because he is not 
obliged to take it. An agister has no lien on horses taken to 
pasture on a contract at so much per head per week; but 
where there is an agreement to that effect he has a lien. 
"Where a part.y went to an inn with two race horses and a groom, in the 
character of a gnest, and tliey remained at the inn for several 
montlis, taking the horses ont every day for exercise and training, 
and being occasionally absent for several days together at races in 
different parts of the country, but always with the intention of 



158 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



returning to the inn, it was held that in the absence of evidence of 
any alteration in the relation of the parties, that of inn keeper and 
guest nmst be presumed to liave continued ; and that the occasional 
absences did not destroy the inn keeper's lien upon the horses for 
his bill. — Reports of Common Bench, (English), new series. Vol. 12, 
638-G44. 

Lie-off. To make a waiting race by keeping some dis- 
tance in the rear of the other horses. A jockey is said to "lie 
out of his ground," when he pushes the lying-oft' tactics to 
excess, and gets so far behind that he has little or no chance 
of recovering the lost ground. 

!Lig-lit-liarness Horse; Ldg^ht-harness Race. 

Terms applied to the trotter, and to a trotting meeting. 

"The only guide to the scientific breeding of the light harness per- 
former, is the standard rules." 

liimited Heats. A race in which the heats shall not 

exceed a given number. 

No high-class, resolute, game horse should be forced to continue a 
supreme effort for more than five heats; beyt)nd that inimber it 
ceases to be manly and dignified sport. It is cruel to trot a horse 
mile after mile every thirty minutes until from sheer exhaustion 
the very best drop several seconds back from their first heats.— H. 
D. McKinney, in The Horseman. 

Line-trotter. A square trotting horse ; a horse, whose 
hind and fore feet in trotting, are in the same line ; undoubt- 
edly the fastest trotter, and one which goes easiest to himself. . 

The truest kind of action is what we may call line-trotting. The horse 
does not sprawl to get his hind feet outside of his front ones. The 
hind foot goes low, and the fore foot is lifted just high enough to 
let the hind one go under, not outside of, the front one.— Training 
the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

liips. The lips of the horse are remarkably sensitive and 
flexible, and can be extended in various directions. Any one 
who has seen a horse take a small piece of sugar from a child's 
hand will appreciate the delicacy and efficiency of these organs 
as agencies of prehension. The lips should be clean and com- 
paratively thin. A slack or drooping condition of the lower 
lip indicates want of vigor ; and a long or large upper lip is a 
very objectionable conformation, and usually, with the presence 
of a thick tuft of hair on the upper lip, are indicative of coarse 
breeding. 

Lipstrap. A small leather band that passes through a 
loose ring in the curb-chain, and buckles to the lever of the bit 
on each side. Its use is to prevent the horse from taking the 
branch of the bit in his teeth and thus destroy the effect of 
the curb. 

List. A dark stripe running along the spine of some 
horses, and occasionally extending to the shoulders and legs. 
It was a theory of Mr. Charles Darwin, the great naturalist, 
that this stripe — which is found in the Cleveland Bay and the 



HAi^DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 159 



Exmoor breed of ponies — might liave indicated " a descent of 

all the existing races from a single dun-colored, more or less 

striped primitive stock, to which our horses occasionally 

revert." 

Liverpool Slide. A coach or carriage bit the bar of 

which slides or plays within the guards. 

If the checkrein be used on a bit with the Liverpool slide, the slide can- 
not act, tor the clieck is supposed lo be always on the strain, and 
this woukl keep the bit always tight up against the corners of the 
mouth. The check, therefore, should never be used on this bit if 
the slide is intended to operate.— The Bridle Bits, CoJ. J. C. 
Battersby. 

Loaded Boots ; Leaded Boots. Quarter boots or 
ankle boots having a pocket on the inside for weight — usually 
small pieces of sheet lead. In some styles the boots are pro- 
vided with a series of two or more rings into which shot is 
placed, the shot being kept in position by means of cotton 
wool, in order to distribute it evenly around the boot, and to 
keep it flexible. Generally used in place of toe and side 
weights, or weighted shoes. 

Locomotion. The expenditure of animal force in the 
act of progression ; bodily movement. 

The points of attacliment between the active principles of locomotion, 
the muscles, and the passive principles, the bones, appear in the 
form of sometimes an eminence, sometimes a depression, some- 
times a border or an angle, or, again, as a mere rouglmess, but each 
perfectly fidtilling its purpose, while the necessary motion is pro- 
vided for by the formation of the ends of the long bones into the 
requisite articulations, joints or hinges. Every motion is the pro- 
duct of the contraction of one or more of the limscles, wliich, as it 
acts upon the bony levers, gives rise to a movement of extension or 
flexion, abduction or adduction, rotation or circumduction. The 
movement of abduction is that wlncn passes from, and that of 
adduction tliat which passes towards the median line, or the center 
of the body. — Dr. A. Liautard, Principal American Veterinary 
College. 

Length of muscular fibers and acute angles of the levers on which they 
act, give sweep of limb, and strength depends upon the number of 
tliem, and the effective power of botli depends upon tlie will or 
courage ; but all these qualities Avould be vain if the motions of the 
extremities were not so co-ordinated that their functions should be 
performed without interference one with another. Though diffi- 
cult of demonstration, it may be taken for granted that, at full 
speed, the adduction and abduction of all the inuscles in action 
counterbalance each otlier; if they did not, either the feet would 
interfere, or they could not be brought to supjwrt the center of 
gravity, and in either case the animal might fall. But the Master 
Meelianic, in forming the anatomy of the horse, attached great 
importance to using every available means to enable the fore foot 
to reach the ground as far in advance as possible, that no time 
might be lost in giving support to the center of gravity. — The Horse 
in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Loins. That portion of the spinal column which is 

devoid of ribs, and which is in front of the highest point of 

the pelvis. They are placed between the back and croup at 

the front and rear, with the flanks at each side. 



160 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



Some writers describe the back and loins as separate parts, but it 
always appears to the writer tliat the latter is only a continuation, 
or part ot the former; tor when we come to consider roacli and 
hollow backs, we find the anterior and posterior part of them so 
intimately concerned in the peculiar conformation, that it is some- 
what difficult to tell where one begins and the other leaves off; 
that is, in tlie living creature; though in the skeleton the line of 
demarcation is well marketl, so much so that there is good reason 
for those who prefer to describe them as separate regions to do so, 
— E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan State College Experiment Station. 

liOng'-distance Racing". A term referring to the 
three and four mile heat races formerly run on the American 
turf, as distinguished from the short, or dash races of more 
recent years. See Dash. 

Long Pasterns. When long pasterns do not impair 
the horse's action by causing weakness, he is sound; but if 
the length of the pasterns arises from the rupture, or unnatural 
elongation of the tendon, the horse is then broken down and 
is unsound. 

Long" Shots. To " take the long shots " is to back a horse 
which is not in popular favor at the moment, and against 
which the book-makers, therefore, give a larger rate of odds. 
It is, in fact, a form of speculation for the rise. 

How oft, at morn, we've laughed to scorn 

A long shofs chance to win ; 
How oft, at eve, we've had to grieve 

O'er our departed tin. 
"We've had the tip, and let it slip, 

What's done we can't retract. 
And we've had to pay on the settling day, 

O'er the winner we might have backed. 

— The Sporting Times. 

Liong-waisted Daughter of Alcyone. Cognomen 
of the famous mare, Martha Wilkes, 2.1 1|. 

IjOngeing. [Eng.] The act of teaching a colt obedi- 
ence; the first lessons of colt education. Often spelled 
allongeing. 

Look-over. The last rapid, but trained and careful 
examination which is always taken of horse, sulky, boots, 
buckles, straps, nuts, bolts, before coming out for a heat. 

Looking On. A term implying that a horse is not 
intended to do his best in a race ; is not a winner ; is in the 
race just to look on; a cock horse. 

Loop. The scoring ground of a kite track, occupying a 
space about one hundred and sixty by four hundred feet. 
This space is often in the form of an oval course, with a small 
green in the center; and in other cases it is all graded to a 
level. 

Loops. Rein holders. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 161 

Loops. Keepers attached to a bridle, or other part of 
the harness, used with buckles to retain the ends of the billets 
and straps. 

LiOpe. A long stride; loping gait; a leisurely canter 
with a somewhat long, easy stride ; the gallop slowed down. 

Losing' Horse. A beaten horse in a performance ; a 
horse that is not a winner. 

Luck. The origin of the superstition that a horseshoe 
brings good luck, can be traced back to the thirteenth century. 
It is left on record by the monk, Gervaise, of Tillbury, that at 
that time there was a kind of demon in England, which 
appeared as a horse rearing on his hind legs, and with spark- 
ling eyes, whose presence foretold conflagrations and disaster. 
As a charm to allay his fearful deeds, a horseshoe nailed 
against a building prevented it from catching fire ; and the 
finding of a horseshoe was regarded as a sign of good luck. 

Lug". When a horse is heavy-headed, drives on one rein' 

bears down or pulls, he is said to "lug," or to "lug on the bit.' 

Whenever Siiiiol showed an indication to lug I would let her have her 
head, talk to her, and have lier go along as easily as possible, with- 
out being hard lield, and she gradually forgot to pull. — Training 
tlie Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Lugs. Straps attached to each side of the saddle of a 
single harness, having a strong loop near the end to receive 
and hold in place the thills of a sulky or carriage. 

Lugging. A term used to denote that one of the horses 
in a span or double team, which does not do his share of the 
work, is being lugged, or pulled along by his mate. 

Lunette. A tip, or half-shoe, claimed to have been 
invented by Lafossepere, the great French veterinary authority, 
in 1756, but which, it is said, he really derived from Fiaschi, 
his great Italian predecessor, who devised it so early as 1556. 
It is a tip, or plate, ending at the quarters, where it is drawn 
thin, leaving the wall, bars and frog at the heel to bear upon 
the ground. 

Lunge. A quick stride ; a plunge ; to dash off in a 
frantic, unmanageable way ; the plunging or jumping of a 
horse held by a long rein for training or exercise. 

Lungs. All diseases affecting the lungs of the horse 
are causes of unsoundness. 

Lunk-head. An ignorant, awkward, stupid horse ; one 
incapable of being educated or taught, having a dull eye, big 
belly, banged tail, and no spirit; with a large head, lolling 
tongue, and an aimless, lazy gait. 

11 



M 

Made to Rule. A term referring to the legitimacy of 
records, indicating that they must conform to the rules of the 
associations, or they will not be received for registry. 

Maiden. By the rules of the Turf Congress a maiden 
horse is one that has never won a race in any country. The 
English rules define maiden as a horse which has never won a 
public race ; therefore the winning of one or more matches 
does not disqualify a horse from being entered as a maiden for 
subsequent events. The term is not used on the trotting turf, 
the equivalent being "green horse," or a horse that has never 
trotted or paced for premiums or money, or against time, 
either double or single. 

Maiden Stakes. The money contested for in a race 
between young horses that have never run before. It is a term 
exclusively used in connection with the racing turf. 

Making a Mouth. A term used by trainers in accus- 
toming the young colt they are handling, to the bit. The term, 
" My colt has no mouth yet," means that he has not been sulfi- 
ciently trained to the bit. 

Making" the Pace. The leading horse in a heat or 
race is said to make the pace for all the contending horses 
engaged ; hence, at his highest speed, the horse is said to be 
"making the pace." 

Making- the Running. Where a rider urges his horse 

from start to finish, or in other words forces the pace, he is 

said to be " making the running." 

The jockey shoiild never make his own running except when he is on a 
liorse tliat frets or goes unkindly wlien there is aiiything in front of 
him, or Avhen he cannot get any otlier rider to force tlie pace fast 
enough. It may be good policy, wlien the ground is heavy, for a 
light weight to make the running, as weiglit tells far more through 
"dirt," than when the horses can hear their feet rattle. — Riding, 
M. Horace Hayes, M. R. C. V. S. 

Mallenders. Normal structures, or patches on which 
no hair grows, existing at birth and equally developed in both 
sexes, upon the inner surface of the fore limb, but nearer the 
hinder than the front border ; and constituting one of the char- 
acteristic distinctions by which the species Equus caballus, is 
separated from the other member of the genus. On the fore 
limb the mallenders are placed upon the inner surface above 

163 



HANDBOOK OP THE TUEF. 163 

the carpal or knee joint. They are about two inches long and 
three-fourths of an inch wide, pointed at each end, and situ- 
ated obliquely, so that the long axis has its lower end pointed 
backwards nearly to the hind border of the limb. Their nat- 
ural color is dark slate, and then- structui^e is much like that of 
a wart or corn. 

The signification and utility of these structures are complete puzzles. 
If ihey teacli us nothing else, they afford a valuable lesson as to our 
own ignorance, for if we cannot guess at the meaning or use of a 
structure so conspicuous to observation, and in an animal wliose 
mode of life more than any other we have had the fullest opportu- 
nity of beconiLng intimately acquainted with, how can we be 
expected to account, off-hand, for the endless strange variations of 
form or structure which occur among animals whose lives are 
passed in situations entirely secluded from human observation, and 
of whose habits and methods of existence we know absolutely 
iiotliing?— The Horse, William Henry Flower, C. B. 

Mandate. A proclamation ; an official paper announc- 
ing the terms of agreement by which members of the trotting 
associations are bound to be governed, and to carry out, in all 
meetings, engagements and performances. 

Mane. The long hair growing on the neck and neigh- 
boring parts of the horse, as distinguished from the tail and 
shorter hair on the body. It grows on the middle line of the 
neck or crest and falls naturally on the near or off side. 

Mane Pulling". A cruel practice once fashionable in 
England, by which the hairs of the mane were thinued out for 
the purpose of giving it a thin, graceful, fleecy appearance. 

Manage. A French term denoting the art of breaking, 
training and riding horses ; a school for teaching the whole art 
of equestrianism. 

Mang"e. A disease of the skin caused by parasitic acari, 
or lice. A mangy horse is unsound. 

Manger. The crib from which a horse eats in the 
stable ; a feed-box in which to give the horse oats, bran, or 
roots. 

Mare. The female of the horse kind. 

Marey's Law. A law first affirmed by M. Marey, an 
eminent French veterinarian, and now universally acknowl- 
edged ; stated in these words : The muscles of speed in the 
horse are long and slender, and those of strength short and 
thick. 

Mark of Mouth. The mark of the mouth in horses 
extends to the commencement of the ninth year, and from that 
period to old age the wearing away of the crowns of the teeth 
is such, that the fact of determining age by them is so uncer- 
tain that the horse is said to be past the '-mark of mouth." 



164 HAKDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



Market Horse. [Eog.] A horse simply kept in the 
betting lists for the purpose of being betted against. The 
market is the turf exchange at Tattersall's. 

Markings. The markings of white upon the forehead 
and face of bay or dark colored horses, are defined as follows : 
Blaze — if the white spreads over the forehead ; reach — if the 
white runs down the nose in the form of a line of no great 
width ; snip — a white or pink patch on either lip ; star — a 
small patch of white more or less in the center of the forehead. 

Master of the Horse. In Roman history, an official 
appointed by the Dictator to act as his chief subordinate. He 
discharged the duties of the Dictator during the latter's absence. 
An equerry. The third great officer in the British court. He 
has the management of all the royal stables, with authority 
over all the equerries and pages, coachmen, footmen, grooms, 
etc. In state cavalcades he rides next to the sovereign. 

Marting'ale. A strap fastened to the girth of the sad- 
dle or harness, passing between the horse's fore legs, and end- 
ing in two rings through which the reins pass. Its uses are to 
aid the hands in keeping the horse's head in position ; to 
increase the power of the rider in holding his head straight ; 
to retain the reins in their places, and to prevent either of the 
reins from getting over the neck. 

When the bridoon bit is drawn straight to about one inch above the 
ponunel of tlie satklle, the rings of the martingale should just hang 
easy on them when Ihe horse holds his head in its normal position. 
If he attempts to throw his head up the mariiiigale will, at this 
length, cheek him. In leaping, the martingale must be lengthened 
and wh^oliy powerless, else the horse may be thrown over the fence. 
The curb and martingale have no fellowship with each ot her. They 
belong to two different bits or reins, for, while the curb cannot be 
used on the bridoon, the martingale should not be used on the curb 
rein.— The Bridle Bit,s, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Match. A pair of horses; a span; to mate together, as, 
"the horses are an exact match in height, color, gait and 
disposition." 

Match Race. The trotting rules regard match races as 
performances against time, and time made in such races is so 
treated and designated. By the rules of the Turf Congress a 
match is a private sweepstakes. 

A match against time is a bet that a horse will beat a certain time, or, 
in other words, is a bet against individuals.— J. H. Steiner. 

It is said the first match between two horses took i^lace in 1377, betAveen 
Richard Fitzallan 14th Earl of Arundel and the Prince of Wales, 
afterwards Richard II. The horses were ridden V)y their owners. 
The Earl's horse subsequently became the property of Richaid at a 
price which would be represented to-day by $20,000. The first match 
against time upon record occurred in the year 1604. Jolm Lent on, a 
groom in the service of James I., undertook to ride five times 
between London and York from Monday morning until Saturday 
night. He actually performed the task iu five days. 



HAITDBOOK OF THE TURF. 165 

Median Phalanx. The coronary bone, or small 
pastern. 

Medicine. For a horse to require a dose of medicine is 
an evidence of unsoundness; therefore, until the effects of 
medicine are removed, the horse is unsound. 

Meeting" ; Meet. A race or trotting event. The word 
originated from the English term " meet," to meet for the 
chase or hunt on horseback ; hence, it came to be applied to 
the events of the running turf, and subsequently to trotting 
races. By the rules of the Turf Congress a meeting begins at 
10 o'clock A. M., of the first day, and ends one hour after the 
last race of the last day. 

Member. Any driving park association, society fair 
ground, or race track ovi^ned or leased by a corporation or by 
an individual, upon which races are trotted or paced under the 
rules of either the National or American trotting associations, 
is known as a "member" of such association. 

Members. The legs of a horse are called its members. 

Messenger. One of the greatest horses of all history, and 
the foundation source of the American trotter, the fleetest and 
stoutest breed of horses in the world. Foaled in 1780. Bred 
by John Pratt, of N^ew ]Market, England. By Mambrino, by 
Engineer, a son of Sampson, by Blaze, by Flying Childers, by 
the Darley Arabian — the celebrated horse imported into Eng- 
land from the Levant in the reign of Queen Anne, (1702-1714); 
dam, by Turf, by Matchem, by Cade, by the Godolphin 
Arabian. His color was gray; he stood 15.3 hands high, a 
plain, somewhat coarse animal, having a large, bony head, low 
in the withers, upright shoulders, and a rather short, straight 
neck. He had large knees and hocks, and his windpipe and 
nostrils are described by contemporary writers to have been 
nearly twice as large as ordinary. Whether in motion, or at 
rest, his legs were said to have been always in a perfect position. 
He was an animal of great vigor and soundness, and although 
running bred was a natural trotter. Messenger was imported in 
May, 1788, by Thomas Benger, of Bristol, Pa., and when he 
landed at Philadelphia, said Hiram Woodruff, " the value of 
not less than one hundred million dollars struck our soil." He 
never went out of the States of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and 
New York, and died on the farm of Tounsend Cock, near 
Oyster Bay, Long Island, N. Y., January 28, 1808, being 
twenty-eight years of age, and " having attained such a height 
of equine reputation that he was buried with military honors, 
and a charge of musketry was fired over his grave." Messen- 



166 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 

ger's three greatest sons were : Winthrop Messenger, taken to 
Maine in 1816, the founder of that sterling family known as 
Maine Messengers, of which Sanford Howard said, m 1852, 
"Maine has, until within a few years, furnished nearly all the 
trotting stock of any note in the country; " Bishop's Hamble- 
tonian, foaled on 'Long Island in 1804; Mambrino, foaled in 
1806, from whose loins came two of the greatest families in all 
history — the Mambrino Chief, and Hambletonian, the latter 
"by far and away the greatest of all trotting progenitors." 

Metacarpus. The cannon bone. It extends from the 
hock in the hind leg, and from the knee in the fore leg to the 
fetlock. It stands nearly perpendicular, and is somewhat 
cylindrical in shape, though it should be flat from side to side. 

Mexican Derby. First run in the city of Mexico, 
N. A., December 3, 1893. Won by R. R. Rice, of Arkansas, 
his entry, Francis Pope and Castanet, finishing in first and 
second position. Distance : one mile and one-fourth ; time : 
2:24i. 

Mile. A distance of eight furlongs, or five thousand two 
hundred and eighty feet. 

Mitlbeli. A term used by the Arabs, applying to a point 

of the horse which they esteem of great importance. Explained 

by the quotation : 

Next to the head and ears, the Arabs vahie the manner in which the 
head is set on the neck. Tliis point, or rather form of juncture, 
ihey call the mitbeh. It especially refers to the sliape of the wind- 
pipe, and to the manner in wliich the throat enters or runs in 
between the jaws, wliere it should have a slight and graceful curve. 
This permits of an easy carriage of the head, and gives great free- 
dom to tlie air i)assage"s.— Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 

Mixed Gaited. When a horse has two ways of going 

at speed, and changes from the trot to the pace, and from the 

pace to the trot, it is said that he is " mixed gaited." 

Change of gait is only possible when all the feet are clear of the 
ground. If the attempt should be made while one foot is on the 
ground, the result would be a misstep and a fall. This opportunity 
is afforded when the extraordinary propulsive force, given by the 
fore leg that leaves Ihe ground last, projects the body upward, 
giving a time equal to one-fifth of a stride for tlie hind foot of the 
same side to lake the place of one that would liave followed had 
the same order contiinied. — The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Mixed Meeting". Those meets at which both trotting 
and running races take place. 

Molars. The molar teeth of the horse appear in two 
dentitions, or groups ^the temporary and permanent. The 
first consists of twelve teeth, six in each jaw, three on each 
side. The second consists of twenty-four teeth, twelve in each 
jaw, six on each side. They are designated by numbers, from 
front to rear, as first, second, and so on. The first three, which 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 167 

replace the temporary molars, are known as pre-molars, and 
the last three as post-molars. The permanent molars have the 
shape of quadrangular prisms flattened from side to side, with 
the exception of the first and sixth, which are triangular. 

Mongrel. A mixed breed ; an individual of a breed, or 
a breed of animals resulting from repeated crossings, or mix- 
tures of several different varieties ; the progeny of artificial 
varieties, as distinguished from those which are a cross between 
two different species. 

The greater variability in mongrels than in hybrids does not seem at 
all surprising. For the parents of mongrels are varieties, and 
mostly domestic varieties, and this implies that there has been 
i-ecent variability, wliich would often continue and be added 1o 
tliat arising from the act of crossing. — The Origin of Species, 
Charles Darwin. 

Monkey. [Eng.] Five hundred pounds. The cry not 
unfrequently heard in the ring, of " the field a monkey," means 
that the layer is willing to bet £500 even, against one horse in 
the race. 

Morgan. A New England family of trotters of great 
excellence. Founded by a horse foaled in Springfield, Mass., 
in 1793, and purchased when two years old by Justin Morgan 
of Randolph, Vt. after whom the horse, and the family he 
founded, were named. He was said to be by True Briton, by 
Lloyd's Traveller, b}^ imported Traveller; and out of a mare 
of Wildair blood, (Wildair, a horse of the very highest excel- 
lence imported into this country from England and subse- 
quently purchased at a high price and carried back to that 
country.) Other accounts represent the dam of Justin JSIorgan 
as having been a descendant of the Lindsey Arabian, a famous 
horse which stood in Connecticut and subsequently in Mary- 
land. Justin Morgan became famous as a sire of splendid 
driving animals, the branches of his family being the Black 
Hawk, old Vermont Black Hawk, the grandson of Justin Mor- 
gan, and the sire of Ethan Allen — the first stallion to beat 
2:30, taking a record of 2:28 as early as 18.58; the Lambert, 
founded by Daniel Lambert, a horse ranking little inferior as 
a producer of speed to any sire in recent times ; the Fear- 
naught, a family founded by a son of Young Morrill, by Old 
Morrill, and through the Jennison horse a son of Yoimg Bul- 
rush iNlorgan, by Bulrush to the fountain head, Justin Morgan ; 
the Golddust, the founder of this branch being by Vermont 
Morgan, by Barnard ]\Iorgan, by Gifford Morgan, by Wood- 
bury Morgan a son of Justin Morgan ; the Knox, founded by 
Gen. Knox, a son of Vermont Hero, by Sherman Black Hawk, 
by Vermont Black Hawk. '-The popularity of the Morgan 



168 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



family/' says Mr. J. H. Sanders, " at one time was unbounded ; 

and no blood, excepting that of the thoroughbred, has been so 

generally disseminated and so highly esteemed throughout the 

United States." 

Motion, Center of. A point of the horse's back 

directly over the fourteenth vertebra, or in other words, half 

way between the withers and the coupling, or top of the ribs. 

It is the central point from which the forces of the horse when 

carr3dng weight may be said to radiate ; and is the point 

on which weight can be most easily carried, the least motion 

being imparted to it, and where its distribution will be most 

equal over all four of the horse's feet — hence it is over this 

point that the rider's center of gravity should fall. 

The only mtiscnlar power required to keep a body in motion, at what- 
ever speed, is that wliich is necessary to resist the action of gravity 
and overcome resistance. It is plain, that in order to maintain a 
uniform support of gravity, and a continuous impulse in the direc- 
tion of motion, the limbs' miist move, at whatever pace, in such 
manner as best to attain that end; that the more rapid the motion, 
tlie more uniform must be the support. — Tlie Horse in Motion, J. 
D. B. Stillman. 

Mount. [Eq.] The act of gaining the seat in horse- 
back riding. Stand opposite the cantle of the saddle with the 
face to the front, the right hand holding the rein sufficiently 
taut to feel the horse's mouth over the right side of the cantle ; 
with the left hand hold the stirrup-strap while placing the left 
foot in the stirrup ; give a spring upward and forward, throw- 
ing the weight of the body as evenly as possible on the left 
foot and right hand, so as to avoid turning the saddle ; grasp 
the lower part of the mane with the left hand in rising, stand 
erect in the stirrup with the feet touching each other; throw 
the right leg, without bending the knee, over the horse's 
croup, and settle into the saddle ; at this instant, as the right 
hand is raised from the cantle, let go of the mane, grasp the 
reins between the fingers of the left hand, and adjust them 
with the aid of the right hand which has just been released 
from the cantle. The stability of the seat is dependent upon 
the weight of the body, the erect balance and the grasp of the 
saddle with the inside of the thighs. The horse should be 
taught that the act of mounting is no signal for him to go on. 
The pressure of the legs and shortening of the reins are signals 
that the rider is ready for the horse to move. 

We are all taught to mount and dismount exclusively on the left or 
near side of tlie horse, because the military horseman, Avhether 
Oriental or European, ancient or modern, requires to mount and 
dismount with Ins sword or spear in liis hand ready for attack or 
defence.— The Book of the Horse, Samuel Sidney. 

"We commend readiness in mounting, for this reason, that the rider, as 
soon as he is seated on his horse, is in every way prepared for 
action if it should be necessary to encounter an enemy on a sudden. 
— Xenophon. 



HAISTDBOOK OF THE TURF. 169 

Mount. A horse, his rider and appurtenances are often 
collectively referred to as a mount; as in the expression "a 
fine mount," meaning a beautiful horse, saddle and rider's 
outfit. 

Mount. A jockey's outfit. This includes the saddle; 
racing bridle and martingale ; surcingle ; girth ; stirrup-straps 
and stirrups — the weight of the whole varying from one to 
three pounds. The ordinary riding saddle has underneath the 
leather a wooden or iron stock or frame — but the stock of the 
running saddle is a very thin piece of the very best sole lep,ther, 
hammered to wonderful density and toughness, or else it is of 
tenacious steel. The best leather is in the saddle and bridle. 
The surcingle is of silk ; the girth of pigskin ; the stirrup-straps 
of linen web, and the stirrups of light spring steel. The 
English running saddles are made chiefly at Newmarket, Eng. 
Saddles cost from $37 to $58 ; and a complete mount will cost 
from $85 to $110. 

Moutli, Hard. A hard mouth is one in which is a 
thick, fleshy tongue, protruding over its channel and not only 
filling it up but rising high above the level of the bars. 

Mouth-piece. The mouth-piece of the bit consists of 
three parts — the port, to give freedom to the tongue, and the 
two canons, which are the parts that come in contact with the 
bars of the jaw or mouth. 

Mouthing" Bit. A large sized snaffle having one joint 
in the center between the bars, the use of which is to gradually 
teach the colt submission, and accustom him to the use of bit 
and bridle. The bars are an inch thick at the guards, and 
taper slightly to the joint, from which a flat oval piece of steel 
about an inch and a quarter long, is suspended by two small 
rings, and from three holes in the lower edge of the plate are 
suspended small steel tags or pendants. 

M. R. C. V. S. These letters stand for : Member of the 
Royal [England] College of Veterinary Surgeons ; and indicate 
that the person whose name they follow is a graduate of that 
Institution. 

Muddler. [Eng.] A clumsy horse; one which easily 
gets in a muddle. 

Muscles. Organs in the physical structure of the horse 
which are known as the active elements in locomotion, the 
bones with which they are connected being known as the pas- 
sive elements. They vary greatly in quantity as well as 
quality ; some contain a larger proportion of fibrous or cellular 
tissue than others; and, also, other things being equal, have 
less power. The force of the muscles is not always concen- 



170 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

trated at both extremities, but is distributed over the face of 

their levers at different angles and different distances, as well 

as at each change in the position of the levers. The sweep of 

the limb is dependent on the length of the muscular fibers and 

the acute angles of the levers on which they act ; while strength 

depends upon the number of them, and the effective power of 

both is dependent on the courage or will. 

When the time comes for a thoroiigli revision of the names of the 
muscles of tlie horse, (which must soon come), it is to be lioped they 
will be determined by their mechanical action without reference 
to the action of corresponding muscles in man. — The Horse in 
Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Mustang. The wild horse of America. 

Muzzle. The lower end of the head, including the 
nostrils, upper and lower lip, and the bones and teeth covered 
by them. The Arabs have a saying that while the head must 
be broad above, it should taper down to a nose or nmzzle fine 
enough, and sufficiently pointed, to allow the horse to drink 
from a pint pot. 

Muzzle. A guard or cage for the horse's mouth, made 
in various patterns and of different material, and used to 
prevent eating the bedding, tearing the blankets, cribbing, and 
also used on vicious horses that are addicted to biting. 
Among the forms are the common leather shipping muzzle ; 
the wire muzzle ; the anti-cribbing muzzle for preventing crib- 
biting; the Spooner muzzle to prevent eating of the bedding — ■ 
this muzzle having an adjustible bottom ; Low's muzzle, which 
can be changed into a closed or open bottom, allowing the 
horse to eat hay or grain, but can be closed to prevent his eat- 
ing the bedding or tearing the blanket ; Gillespie's link-apron 
muzzle — having a band fastened to a headstall with a chain- 
apron or net at the bottom, which does not prevent eating or 
drinking but prevents tearing of the blanket. 



N 

Nag". A name applied to a mean, ill-bred horse, one 
having no characteristics of value ; specially applied to a horse 
that has been docked. 

Name. Every horse entered in a race must be correctly 
named. The trotting rules require that if a horse has ever 
trotted in a public race, the last name under which such horse 
trotted shall be given when the entry is made; and if the 
name has been changed wdthin one year each name the horse 
has borne during that time must also be given. Not only 
must all horses be named, they must bear distinctive and 
characteristic names, as no such appellations as gray mare, bay 
horse, unknown, no name, can be accepted. Fines accompany 
the violation of this rule. The Turf Congress rules require 
that where a name has been changed both old and new names 
must be given with the nomination, until the horse has once 
run under the new name over the course of an association in 
membership in the Congress. 

Narrag-ansett Pacer. An early breed or family of 
saddle horses said to have been originated on Point Judith, 
Narragansett bay, Rhode Island. They were at the height of 
their fame about the middle of the eighteenth century, and 
long since became extinct. The real origin of this family of 
horses is lost in obscurity, but they appear to have very ciosely 
resembled the Palfrey of the Middle Ages, and w^ere brought 
into use for the same purpose, that of riding on horseback from 
place to place, before the days of good roads and easy carriages. 
They were celebrated in their day for fleetness and endurance, 
transporting the rider w4th great ease, pleasantness and safety 
of foot. Marvelous stories of their speed and endurance are 
found in the early historic annals of the American colonies ; 
and it is said they were capable of pacing seventy miles a day, 
and going a mile in but little over two minutes. 

Nasal Gleet. A primary form of catarrh ; and in any 
stage of its progress an unsoundness. 

National Saddle Horse Breeders' Association. 
Organized at Louisville, Ky., in 1892. At the close of the year 
1893, it had a membership of two hundred and seventeen, rep- 

171 



172 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

resenting twelve States. Its objects are to advance the inter- 
ests of the breeders of the saddle or gaited horse, and maintain 
its purity by the establishment and publication of a stud-book 
for the registry of animals coming within the recognized stand- 
ard of the Society. The foundation stallions are : Denmark, 
by imported Hedgeford ; Brinker's Drennon, by Davy Crockett ; 
Sam Booker, by Boyd McNary, thoroughbred; John Dillard, 
by Indian Chief ; Tom Hal, imported Canadian ; Coleman's 
Eureka; Vanmeter's Waxy; Cabell's Lexington, by Gist's 
Black Hawk ; Copperbottom, pacer ; Stump the Dealer ; Texas, 
by Comanche ; Prince Albert, by Frank Wolford ; Peter's Hal- 
corn ; Varnon's Roebuck, (a Missouri horse) ; Davy Crockett. 
The Society recognizes the following gaits as required to secure 
the registry of animals: 1, walk; 2, trot; 3, rack ; 4, canter; 
5, running-walk, or fox-trot, or slow pace. These gaits consti- 
tute Rule 1, of the standard for admission to registry. The 
other rules are : 2. Stallions and mares tracing on both sides to 
registered or foundation stock. 3. Mares that trace on either 
sire's or dam's side to registered or foundation stock, and go 
the gaits required in rule one. 4. Mares that trace on either 
sire's or dam's side to registered or foundation stock and have 
produced two performers under rule one. 5. Geldings that go 
the gaits required by rule one. 6. Progeny of a registered 
horse when out of a registered mare. The Society has pub- 
lished two volumes of its stud-book, embracing the pedigrees 
of about two thousand stallions and mares. 

National Trotting" Association, The. This associa- 
tion was organized in February, 1870, under the name of the 
"National Association for the Promotion of the interests of 
the American Trotting Turf ; " which- name was changed in 
1878, to the one it now bears. It was chartered by a special 
act of the Legislature of Connecticut, approved March 18, 1884. 
It has for its object, the " improvement of the breed, and the 
development of horses, by the promotion of the interests of the 
American trotting turf ; the prevention, detection, and punish- 
ment of frauds thereon, and uniformity in the government and 
rules of trotting and pacing." It is managed by a board of offi- 
cers having a board of appeals and a board of review ; holds a 
biennial congress on the second Wednesday in February, and 
to the close of 1893, had a membership of five hundred and 
fifty-two. 

Natural Gaits. The natural gaits of the horse are the 
walk, trot, and run, or canter. In the walk one foot is not 
raised until its fellow is upon the ground ; or in other words, 
there is always two feet upon the ground while the diagonal 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 173 

ones are being advanced. In the trot the off fore foot and the 
near hind foot strike and leave the ground exactly together, 
followed by the near fore and off hind foot. In the can- 
ter the horse gallops on one foot, fore or hind, while trotting 
with the others. 

]S"avicular. The small or lower sesamoid bone, situated 
between and behind, or at the back of, the distal phalangeal 
articulation of the foot ; or between the coronary and coffin 
bones. It is related to the great development of these bones, 
and to increasing the mechanical advantage of the flexor ten- 
don which passes over it. Navicular disease is an ulceration of 
the lower surface of this bone, its synovial sac and ligaments, 
and the flexor tendon which plays over it. It is an unsoundness. 

Near-side. The near side of the horse is the left side, 
or that which is approached to mount or handle ; as the off- 
side is the right side. The distinguishing parts are : Near fore 
leg ; off hind leg ; off ear ; near eye, etc. 

Neck. That part extending from the poll to the withers 
along its upper border, and from the throat to a point some- 
what above the anterior point of the breast-bone on the lower 
border, or line. These general forms are recognized among 
horsemen, viz : The straight neck ; clean-cut neck ; ewe 
neck; bull neck, and peacock neck. 1. The straight neck is 
one in which both the lower and upper boundaries, or lines, 
are practically straight, tapering gTadually from the chest to 
the throat. 2. The clean cut neck is best described as the 
neck of the thoroughbred horse. 3. The ewe neck is described 
as one " put on wrong side up." In other words, it is one, the 
upper line of which is concave instead of convex, while the 
under line bulges out more or less in an ungraceful way. 
4. The bull neck is thick, short and heavy. 5. The peacock 
neck is one in which the crest is unduly arched, prominent 
and elevated. When not too pronounced it gives the horse 
a showy appearance. 

In the clean-cut neck the muscles aricl otlier parts stand boldly out, 
the crest is prominent and whipcordy, or wiry, tlie sides are 
marlied by hard muscles, the lower border, including the wind- 
pipe, stands out perceptibly, leaving a prominent groove, the jug- 
ular gutter, between it and the neck above, gracefully incurvated 
near the throat, and attached to the head in a manner that 
leaves a line of demarcation between the leaving off of the head 
and the beginning of the neck, doing away Avith the appearance of 
a plasrered-on head. The posterior part usually terminates per- 
ceptibly just in front of the withers, so that one can tell where the 
neck leaves off and the withers begin— a point that is not always 
easy to determine.— E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan State College 
Experiment Station. 

Needle. A hypodermic syringe used for making injec- 
tions under the skin ; a trocar. Injections of cocaine are made 



174 HAN'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

directly over or under the part to be operated upon so as to 
produce an immediate local effect. Medicinally, injections are 
usually made at the point of the shoulder or in the breast or 
neck, as at these points the skin is very flexible and can be 
easily taken up. Inter-venous injections, (those directly into the 
circulation), are also sometimes resorted to, for the purpose of 
obtaining a more immediate effect. 

Neg'Otiate. [Eq.] To handle ; to manage ; to take. In 
equestrianism, to negotiate a leap hold the bridle-hand loose, 
grasp the horse firmly with the legs and thighs, the toes being 
up and outward, the back inward, and the neck steady. As 
the horse rises meet his crest with the body, being careful not 
to bear on the bridle which might pull him backward. The 
instant his forequarters descend, and his hindquarters ascend, 
keep time with him in an appropriate, but opposite motion and 
throw the body sufficiently backward to be found firm in the 
seat at the conclusion of the leap. Success depends upon the 
perfect coolness of the rider, leaving everything to the discre- 
tion of the horse, freedom from all support of the bridle or 
stirrups, on the firm grasp of the legs and thighs, the instan- 
taneous performance of the alternate motions forward and 
backward, and the preservation of a perfect equilibrium. 

negotiate a Race. To accomplish or perform a race. 

We have been over one hundred years producing but a single trotter 
that can negotiate a mile in 2:U4.— Dr. George ii. Bailey, December, 
1893, in American Horse Breeder. 

Nerving"; Neurotomy. The operation of nerving a 
horse for navicular disease, and frequently for ringbone. It is 
the act of dividing the planter nerve above or below the ankle 
— called high or low operation, as the case may be — and is only 
practiced as a last resort in what are regarded as incurable 
cases. A horse upon which the operation of nerving has been 
performed, has been declared as legally unsound. 

Newmarket. Once the racing center of Great Britain, 
if not of the world. On the border of the counties of Cam- 
bridgeshire and Suffolk, England, twelve miles from the old 
university town of Cambridge. Racing was established here 
by James I., in 1605, who erected a hunting seat called the 
" King's House." The races, discontinued on the ascension of 
Charles L, and the civil war, were revived on the advent of 
Charles II., who was a munificent patron of the turf. He built 
a stand-house here, for the sake of the diversion, and re-estab- 
lished the races about 1667. During the races on March 22, 
1683, Newmarket was nearly destroyed by an accidental fire, 
which occasioned the hasty departure of the company then 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 175 

assembled, including the king, queen, the Duke of York, the 
royal attendants and many of the nobility ; and to this disaster 
historians have attributed the failure of the Rye-house plot, 
the object of which is said to have been the assassination of the 
king and his brother on the road from Newmarket to London, 
if the period of their journey had not been thus anticipated. 
The races are held on the beautiful heath west of the town, 
and the course is upward of four miles, being considered the 
best in England. The training ground, on a slope south of 
the town, is very fine. Seven race meetings each year are held 
here, of three days each. They are : 1, the Craven ; 2, first 
spring; 3, second spring; 4, July; 5, first October; 6, second 
October ; 7, the Houghton. The old course was said to have 
been kept elastic by the action of earth worms. It was divided 
into eighteen lengths, each having a different name adapted to 
the different class of race run on them with regard to weight, 
age, etc. Among these names were those known as Ditch in; 
Across the Flat ; Beacon Course, etc. One of its most notice- 
able features was " the Ditch " — an embankment running from 
the Cambridge fens to Wood Ditton, which, in old times, all 
riders were accustomed to salute in passing. See Salute the 
Ditch. 

Nick. To unite ; the act of coupling. In breeding, said 
of the crossing of one strain of blood with another, where satis- 
factory results are reached, " it nicks or unites well." 

Nicking". The nicking or docking of the tail, by incis- 
ions in the lateral and depressor muscles, that the erector mus- 
cles may keep the tail in a forced position more or less erect 
according to the whim or fashion. 

Nig-hted Colors. The black outfits or rigs worn by 
jockeys. 

Nippers. The incisor or front teeth of the horse, twelve 
in number, six in each jaw, three on each side. Although the 
incisors are all included in the term " nippers " as generally used, 
only the middle teeth are properly so called. 

Nobble. [Eng.] To incapacitate a horse from starting 
in a race, or from winning a race, by previously drugging, 
laming, or otherwise injuring him, is to '' nobble " him. 

No Heat. A heat not awarded. If, in the opinion of 
the judges, a horse has been helped in coming to the wire by 
another horse, rider or driver, they have the power to declare 
the heat to be " no heat," and have the same trotted over again. 

Nominator. The person naming or making entry of a 
horse in a race. If the nominator is not the owner of the 



176 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

horse, the real name and residence of the owner shall be given 
when the entry is made ; and all persons making entries are 
obliged to establish their identity, if unknown, to the officers 
of the course. In making the first payment the nominator 
thereby binds himself to pay the balance of the entrance fee, 
or he is liable to suspension. In courses under the rules of the 
Turf Congress a horse cannot be entered in the name of any 
person or company unless such person or company has an 
interest or property in the horse; persons entering become 
liable for the entrance fee, stake or forfeit ; entries in purses 
are not void by the decease of the nominator, and in no case is 
the entrance money refunded if the horse fails to start. 

Konesucli Palace. [Eng.] A royal palace built at 
Epsom by Henry VIII., (1509-1547), which was a marvel of 
magnificence, erected on purpose for the reception of the court 
attending the races. 

Northern King-. The stallion Nelson, 2:09. Bay 
horse, foaled 1882, by young liolfe, 2:21 1, (son of Tom Rolfe, 
2:33^, and Judith, by Draco, 2:28^); dam, Gretchen — in the 
great brood mare list — (the dam of Susie Owen, 2:26|-; Daisy 
Rolfe, 2:26^, and the pacer Edna, 2:24), by Gideon, (son of 
Rysdyk's Hambletonian and Dandy, the dam of Silver Duke, 
2:28|, by Young Engineer); second dam, Kate, by Vermont 
Black Hawk, 2:42, son of Sherman Morgan, by Justin Morgan. 
Trotting inheritance and development are both represented in 
Nelson's breeding. Holding the world's record to the close of 
1893 for best mile over a half mile track, made at the Inter- 
State Fair, Trenton, N. J., October 6, 1892, 2:11|. At Rigby 
Park, Portland, Maine, August 12, 1893, 2:09. Owned by 
C. H. Nelson, Waterville, Maine. 

Ill 1889 Veritas clubbed, the good liorse Nelson, "the Northern King," 
and despite the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, through 
days dark with disaster, and days wiien his mighty powers were 
frittered away in useless efforts on country cow-path courses, the 
Nortliern King he still remains. There are many good horses, but 
few great ones; Nelson has proved himself one of the greatest. — 
The Horseman, December 14, 1893. 

!N'ose. The continuation of the forehead which ends 
opposite the nostrils, at an angle formed by the line of the 
face and of the muzzle. 

]S"ose Him Out. Said of a horse, when, by a spurt of 
speed at the close of a heat, he finishes a nose's length ahead 
of his competitor ; " It was a close call, but I nosed him out." 

Not Traced. When occurring in a pedigree, these words 
indicate that the line of ancestry to which it refers has not 
been followed back, or traced ; unknovni. 



HAITBBOOK OF THE TUEP. 177 

Numbers are worn on the arm of the jockey or driver, 
corresponding with the number of the horse ridden or driven, 
on the programme of the day; or indicating their position in 
the heat. By the racing rules if a horse does not start and 
run the course after his number has been exhibited, and no 
reasonable explanation for such withdrawal can be given the 
jadges, they have the authority to fine, suspend, or rule off such 
horse. 

Nursery. The quarters in the stable assigned to wean- 
lings. 

Nut Bone. The navicular, or small sesamoid bone of 
the foot. 



12 



Oaks. " The garter of the English turf." The celebrated 
stakes for three year old fillies, established by Edward Smith 
Stanley, 12th Earl of Derby, May 14, 1779. The stakes 
received its name from Lambert's Oaks, in the parish of 
Woodmansterne, formerly an inn. The house was erected by 
the Hunter's Club, and was rented to the Lambert family. It 
afterwards became the residence of Gen. Burgoyne, from whom 
it passed to the 11th Earl of Derby. It is the most important 
fixed event of the English turf, for fillies only, and consists of 
fifty guineas, forfeit forty guineas. It is run on tlie fourth 
day — Friday — of the great Epsom races over the Derby course. 
The Earl of Derby, originator of the stakes, died in 1834. 

Oats. Oats are regarded as the best and healthiest of 
all the grains as a food for horses, because the ingredients 
necessary for the complete sustenance of the body exist in them 
in the most perfect proportions. They are easily digested and 
a large proportion of the nutritious elements which they con- 
tain are absorbed and converted into the various tissues of the 
system. Oats should have a sweet, flowery smell ; thin, smooth 
skins that slip quickly through the fingers, and a sweet taste. 
White oats are generally thinner in the skin than black ; and 
short, plump oats are better than large, long ones. New are 
chiefly distinguished from old oats by the smell, which, in the 
former, is somewhat earth-like ; the husk of the new oat is also 
bright, while its taste is more sweet and milky than that of the 
old oat. Light oats are composed of more skin or husk than 
flour. Oats badly saved, mouldy, sprouting, or otherwise 
damaged, will destroy the condition, if, indeed, they do not 
cause disease in the best horses. In the case of most horses, 
oats are better fed whole, although crushed or bruised oats are 
preferable for old horses, and those having defective teeth. Old 
oats, old corn and old hay are better than new for feeding. In 
all the States the legal and standard weight of a bushel of oats 
is thirty-two pounds, excepting in Maryland, where it is twenty- 
six pounds ; in New Jersey, where it is thirty pounds, and in 
Oregon, where it is thirty-six pounds. 

Objections. An objection is an oj^position to a ruling 
or decision ; a complaint against a horse, driver or jockey. 

178 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 179 

Objections must be made before the conclusion of the meeting 
at which the race is run, and shall be heard and determined 
by the judges of that race, except in cases where a longer time 
is given for their consideration. They must be made by the 
owner, trainer or jockey of some other horse engaged in the 
same race, or by "the officials of the course, or by some credit- 
able person. On the days of the race they must be made to 
one of the judges of the race, or to the clerk of the course ; and 
at other times to the officers or the clerk. Objections must be 
made in writing, if required; and when so made cannot be 
withdrawn without leave of the officers of the association. 
In all cases where a decision cannot be made during the 
meeting at which the objection was presented, it must be 
made in writing and placed in the hands of the clerk 
of the course. Objections may be made to a horse on the 
ground of his not having run the proper course, or for 
other causes. If an objection to a horse which has won or been 
placed in a race be declared valid, the horse shall be regarded 
as distanced in heats of races. If an objection is made as to 
the age of a horse, the judges shall demand proofs which are 
deemed satisfactory, of his correct age. Where a dead heat is 
run for second place, and an objection is made to the winner, 
it shall be run over, or the horses shall divide or draw lots for 
an indivisible prize. An objection on the ground of fraudulent 
entry, willful misstatement or on representation that the horse 
which ran was not the horse entered, may be received any time 
within one year after the race. Pending the settlement of any 
objection, any prize or money may be withheld until such mat- 
ter is decided. If an objection is made to a horse in a selling 
race and after the horse has been bought, if the objection is 
sustained, the buyer may have the option of returning him; 
but if the objection is made before the sale, the time of deliv- 
ery, but not of selling, may be postponed at the option of the 
judges. If the objection is declared valid, the person who 
bought the horse shall have the option of returning him. 

Occipital Crest. The bony prominence which consti- 
tutes the top of the horse's head, and rises, more or less promi- 
nently, between the ears. 

Odds. The proportion or amount by which the bet of 
one party to a wager exceeds that of the other ; as to lay or 
give odds. 

Odometer. A device designed to register the distance 
traveled by carriages. The machinery is contained in a small 
metallic case fastened to the axle, and is operated by means of 
a steel pin inserted on the inner end of the hub, which propels 



180 HAI^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

the mechanism of the odometer with each revolution of the 
wheel. The dial contains three indexes, each of a different 
color. A red index registers a mile every time it makes a com- 
plete revolution, and, as the dial is divided into forty spaces, 
each space represents one-fortieth of a mile, or eight rods. A 
yellow index revolves once every forty miles, and each space 
represents a mile. A blue index revolves once every 1,600 
miles, so that each space represents forty miles in relation to 
this index. Around this dial are three rows of figures which 
register the distance, and with each mile passed the fact is 
announced by one sharp stroke of a small bell. When designed 
for attachment to sulkies for training or trotting purposes, a 
bell strikes each quarter mile. 

Off. Dead-off. Spoken of a horse when out of condition, 
as off his feed, if ailing; off his feet, if lame; off in going, 
when he does not do his best. 

Off-and-On. A term used to describe the leap in the 
hunt or cross-country riding; the taking-off and landing in 
passing a fence or ditch. 

The mare I rode on tlie journey carried me over the raised water- 
courses by the Euphrates in the cleverest way in the world; off and 
on, without the least hanging or hesitation, and always Avith a foot 
ready to bring down in case of need.— The Bedouin Tribes of the 
Euphrates, Lady Anne Blunt. 

Off Side. The right hand side in driving or riding ; 
the side most remote from the driver or rider when on the left 
side of his horse or team. In English countries the left hand 
side is the off side, when meeting teams on the highway. 

Offending Horse. A horse, which in the hands of a 
driver or rider is guilty of disobeying any of the turf rules. 
The National and American Associations prescribe that if an 
offending horse violates any of the restrictions, he shall not be 
entitled to win the heat, but shall be placed behind all the 
unoffending horses in the heat ; and under certain conditions 
the judges have the right to rule the horse out and impose a 
fine upon the rider or driver. 

On-and-Off. Used in describing a safe landing when 

jumping on horseback. 

A good, hard bank on which to land in jumping a ditch or brook, 
'(Avhich is usually taken at a half speed gallop), so that the rider can 
land upon it and be off without danger. —The Practical Horse 
Keeper, George Fleming, LL. D., M. R. C. V. S. 

On His Balance. Said of a horse in good trotting or 
running condition. 

Open Bridle. A bridle or headstall having no blinds 
or blinders. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUBF. 181 

Open Gait. A square gait; a pure gait. An open- 
gaited trotter is one that places his hind feet outside of the 
forward ones when in action — said to be the fastest mode of 
locomotion a trotter can possess. 

Open Out ; Open Up. To speed or exercise a horse^ 
before a race in which he is entered, takes place. 

Open Out. A term applied to that process of fitting 
the heels of the feet by cutting the horn between the bars of 
the foot and the frog. 

Orders. The orders given riders, drivers or jockeys by 
the owners of the horses they handle in a race, in regard to the 
points of the race and what they are to do when making it. 

Oregon Wonder. The horse Linus, foaled at Marion, 
Oregon, May 20, 1883. Clyde and French, chestnut color, 
16.2 hands, weight 1,450 pounds. At five years of age his tail 
and mane began to grow, and in 1889 dragged several feet 
upon the ground when both were braided and put in sacks. 
From 1890 to 1892 they increased in length at the rate of 
nearly two feet each year. He was shown at the Columbian 
World's Fair in 1893 as one of the most wonderful horses ever 
known in history. He died in August, 1894. 

Orloff. A breed of Russian trotting horses founded 
by Count Alexis Orloff - Ortov - Tchesmensky, an enthusiastic 
horseman, about 1770 or 1772. He imported a gray stallion 
from Arabia named Smetanska, which w^as bred to a Danish 
mare, the produce being a horse known as Palkan I ; and from 
a union of this half-blood with a Dutch mare sprang a stallion 
known as Barss I. All the modern trotters of Russia trace 
their leinage back to him and to daughters of Smetanska out 
of English and Arabian mares. It took thirty years to estab- 
lish the Orloff as a distinct tj'pe. Their trotting performance 
is remarkable, and their size is equal to their speed. A monu- 
ment was erected to Count Orloff in 1876. 

Ormonde. A noted English race horse, bred by the 
Duke of Westminster at Eaton Hall, near Chester, England. 
Foaled in 1883. In color a rich, solid bay; 16.1 hands high. 
By Bend Or, (son of Doncaster and Rouge Rose, by Thor- 
manby), dam, Lily Agnes by Macaroni; second dam, Polly 
Agnes by The Cure; third dam. Miss Agnes by Birdcatcher. 
Ormonde has a shoulder, arm and muscle that are of the 
grandest proportions ; a plain, sensible head ; short back ; large, 
powerful stifles, and grand legs. He is the sire of Orme, one 
of the most remarkable horses that ever appeared on the 
English turf, and of itseK alone, honor enough for a world's 
horse. He was sold in 1886 for 2,000 guineas; in 1889 he 



182 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

was sold to Senor Bocan for $75,000 and taken to Buenos 

Ayres, S. A.; in 1890 he was sold to Baron Hirsch for $70,000 

and again taken to England, and was purchased in 1893 by 

Mr. W. O'B. MacdonoTigh, of San Francisco, Cal., for $150,000 

— the highest price ever paid for a horse in the world. 

Ormonde was never beaten. He is probably the greatest race 

horse ever bred in Great Britain, or anywhere else. He 

flomished in an age remarkable for great race horses, such as 

Minting, Paradox, Melton, Bendigo, Bard, St. Gatien — and 

beat them all. He always beat all the Derby and St. Leger 

winners, and they beat everything else, showing how great 

they were. Even when his wind was touched they could not 

beat him, showing how great he was, how indomitable his 

heart and muscular power. He is one of the few horses that 

have won the Derby, St. Leger, and the 2,000 guineas ; and is 

said to be the only horse that ever won the great Hardwicke 

stakes at Ascot Heath, twice. 

Ormonde is the horse of the century. — M. Horace Hayes, M. R. C. V. S. 

Osslet. A hard substance growing on the inside of a 

horse's knee. 

Large, coarse osslets show cold, mongrel blood. — General Grant's 
Arabian Horses, Randolph Huntington. 

Out. Horses in a race often do not all appear for the 
second or subsequent heat ; but those which come on the track 
at the sound of the bell are said to be " out." 

Outfit. The outfit of a rider or jockey in running races 
consists of cap, jacket, knee-breeches, boots, spurs and whip. 
The cap and jacket, or blouse, are made of satin ; the breeches, 
(which are always white), of undyed merino ; the boots of calf 
skin; the spurs of spring steel, and the whip of whalebone 
with a gut covering. The entire outfit does not weigh more 
than two pounds. 

Out for an Airing. [Eng.] Said of a horse that is 
backward, or of one not meant to win. 

Out of Form. A horse that gets a bad start in a heat 
or race, either by a jump cross-legged, or in some way which 
makes it plain that the race or heat is lost to him at the start, 
is said to be " out of form." 

Out of Hand. Hand to hand; a system of private 
betting from out the hand, or between one person and another, 
the wager being placed in the hand of a third party. 

Oval Track. A track the sides of which are longer 
than the ends ; or one where the sides, or stretches, are ninety 
rods long ; and the ends, or turns, seventy rods long. 



HAI^-DBOOK OF THE TURF. 183 

Overhead Rein; Overdraw Check. A check or 
bearing rein that passes over the head of a horse between the 
ears, and thus to the bit, used with an overcheck bridle. The 
use of such a check is altogether a matter to be regulated by 
the disposition of the horse. Judiciously used, an overhead 
check need be no more distressing or injurious to the horse 
than a side check ; while some drivers assert that it is impossi- 
ble to handle some horses without the overhead rein, and that 
such a check is especially necessary for a mixed gaited colt. 

Overreach. "Where the shoe of the hind foot strikes 

and injures the heel or quarter of the fore foot. It rarely occurs 

except in trotting and running horses, and in trotters generally 

takes place when the animal breaks from a trot to a rnn. It 

results from the faulty conformation of the horse and is neither 

an unsoundness nor a vice. 

The hind foot should be the last to leave the ground. The early start 
of the fore foot enables it, to clear the way for the hind one on 
the same side to advance to the support of the center of gravity in 
its turn without being hit by it, or overreached, as it is technically 
termed. The fore foot being dilatory, or having a more circuitous 
route to travel, or the disproportion in the length of the body to 
that of the legs, exposes the fetlock and heel to injury from the shoe 
of the hind foot: but generally the hind foot is pushed under the 
forward one as the latter rises. — The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. 
Stiihnan. 

Over the Sticks. Running a hurdle race. 

Overv^^eig'ht. The law of the trotting turf provides 
that if the weight of any driver exceeds twenty pounds the con- 
ditions or rule of the race, the judges may, if they have reason 
to believe that such extra weight w^as imposed on the horse for 
an improper purpose, substitute another driver of suitable 
weight. By the American racing rules a horse is not qualified 
to run with more than five pounds overw^eight ; and if he carry 
more than two pounds which has not been duly declared and 
announced by the clerk of the course, he is disqualified. 

Ovrner. By the rules of the American Turf Congress, 
an owner includes j)art owner or leasee of a horse, and proof of 
ownership mast be given when required, or the horse becomes 
disqualified. If a jockey is an entire owner of a horse or 
horses he shall only be permitted to ride his own horses. 

Owners' Handicap. A race in which the owner fixes 
at the time of entry the weight his horse is to carry. 

Owners Up. A term denoting that in the race to which 
it is applied, the owners of the horses entered for it, are to ride 



Pace. A word constantly used as a general term to 
describe all the different gaits and modes of progression of the 
horse ; hence, a fast horse, one showing remarkable speed, is 
almost invariably spoken of as "going at a great pace," 
although his gait may be the trot and not the pace. 

Pace. A gait in which the horse moves two legs on the 
same side at the same time, and both feet strike as one — then 
the limbs on the other side are advanced and strike as one foot. 
The two strokes : One, two, complete the revolution. To the 
ear, therefore, as well as the eye, the motions of the pace are, 
one, two ; one, two ; at regular and distinct intervals, the horse 
appearing, by the sound, at least, to have but two feet. The 
lateral motion of the pacer is without doubt as old as the diag- 
onal motion of the trotter, and the two gaits were contempo- 
raneous centuries ago, just as they are in this country to-day ; 
at least it is clear that the exact motion of the pace now, is like 
the motion of the amble in England described two hundred 
years ago by the Duke of l^ewcastle. The pacing gait is more 
favorable to a high rate speed with the same expenditure of 
vital force, than the trotting gait. 

While in tlie trot the center of gravity falls near the intersection of tlie 
two straight lines drawn tlirough the diagonal footpri-nts, in the 
pace it is shifted from side to side, as Ihe right or left feet alter- 
nately support tlie weight. The effect of this is to give a rolling 
motion to tlie body like that of a ship with the wind abeam. It is an 
easy pace for the rider, being free from the short undulations of the 
trot. * * * The necessity which exists of rapidly changing the 
base of support from side to side, makes it practicable in the horse 
only when tiie speed is considerable and quite impossible in the 
rate pursued in the walk. — The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Pacer. A horse whose natural gait is the pace. All fam- 
ilies of pacers lack hock action and go close to the ground ; hence 
the pacer is utterly unsuitable for cross-country riding. He is 
not a jumper and his action is too much of the gliding nature, 
and too near the ground, to ever think of his becoming a 
hunter. 

Pacers are ordinarily not as handy in recovering from a break as are 
trotters, but even at that it is only once in a long time, that, with 
ordinary care on the part of the driver, a pacer that has the speed 
of his field need be distanced simply because in some particular heat 
he is unsteady. — Wallace's Monthly. 

Pacers. In the Year Book, and in all correctly printed 
summaries of races, the names of pacers are placed in italics. 

184 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 185 

Pacers. To the close of 1893, there were fourteen pacers 
with records of 2:08, and thirty-two with records of 2:10; 
while the number with records of 2:30 or better, was about two 
thousand. 

Pace-maker. The leading horse in a heat is said to be 
the " pace-maker," as he sets the pace for the field. 

Pacing'-blood. It is generally believed that pacing 

blood is an element of great speed in the trotter ; in support of 

which is cited the case of Blue Bull, the great pacing sire of 

trotters, who never showed a disposition or ability to trot at 

any rate of speed, yet he maintains his position as one of the 

three or four great progenitors of trotters. This is believed to 

be evidence of the oneness of the trotting and pacing gaits. 

There are multiplied evidences that a horse may be trotting 

bred and his natural habit of action may be the lateral motion 

— the pace ; or he may be pacing bred, and his habit of action 

may be the diagonal gait — the trot. It is true that if the horse 

move the two legs on one side at the same instant, he is a pacer ; 

and if he moves the diagonal legs at the same instant, he is a 

trotter, however he may have been bred. If one desires to 

know w^here the trotting colt gets his pacing action, he has 

inevitably to go back to his pacing ancestors. 

Ko coit has ever been foaled a natural pacer that dirt not have a pacing 
inheritance or ancestry from some source. — "Walhvce's Monthly. 

Pacing standard. The following rules embrace the 
pacing standard for registry in the American Trotting and 
Pacing Register : 

First: Any pacing stallion that has a record of 2:25 or 
better ; provided any of his get has a record of 2:30 pacing, 
or better ; or provided his sire or dam is already a standard 
pacing animal. 

Second : Any mare or gelding that has a pacing record of 
2:25, or better. 

Third: Any horse that is the sire of two pacers with 
records of 2:25. 

Fourth: Any horse that is the sire of one pacer with a 
record of 2:25 or better, provided he has either of the following 
additional qualifications — 1 : A pacing record of 2:30 or better ; 
2 : Is the sire of two other animals with pacing records of 2:30 ; 
3 : Has a sire or dam that is akeady a standard pacing animal. 

Fifth : Any mare that has produced a pacer with a record 
of 2:25, or better. 

Sixth : The progeny of a standard pacing horse when out 
of a standard pacing mare. 



186 HANDBOOK OF THE TURP. 

Seventh : The female progeny of a standard pacing horse 
when out of a mare by a standard pacing horse. 

Eighth : The female progeny of a standard pacing horse 
when out of a mare whose dam is a standard pacing mare. 

Ninth: Any mare that has a pacing record of 2:30, or 
better, whose sire or dam is a standard pacing animal. 

Tenth : The progeny of a standard trotting horse, out of a 
standard pacing mare, or of a standard pacing horse, out of 
a standard trotting mare. 

Pacing-— World's Record. [To the close of 1893.] 
One mile — Mascot, by Deceive, Terre Haute, Ind., September 
29, 1892, (race record) ; and Flying Jib, by Algona, Chicago, 
111., September 15, 1893, (against time), 2:04. Fastest mile by 
a stallion — Direct, by Director, l^ashville, Tenn., November 8, 
1892, 2:05^-. Fastest mile to wagon — Roy Wilkes, by Adrian 
Wilkes, Independence, Iowa, (kite track), October 30, 1891, 
2:13. Fastest mile under saddle — Johnston, by Joe Bassett, 
Cleveland, Ohio, August 3, 1888, 2:13. 

Packing". The act of stopping, or stuffing a horse's foot 
when in stable, by covering the sole with some moist and soft 
material, which is often fastened in place by means of a thin 
steel spring inserted under the rim of the shoe. Various mate- 
rials are used — moist clay, a wet sponge, damp moss, (peat), 
petrolatum, (a packing saturated with petroleum), and felt 
pads, which are made to fit the sole, and are fastened by means 
of a metallic toe-piece and a strap which buckles around the 
foot. As a winter packing, tar and oakum is often used. 

Pad. A pad-horse ; a road-horse. 

Pad. A small lay, or cushion, made of leather, felt or 
deer skin, kersey-lined, placed under the saddle of a harness, 
to prevent it from resting directly on the back of the horse. 

Pad. The saddle on the top of a surcingle, used in giv- 
ing the colt his first lessons in bitting ; to which the turrets 
through which the reins play are fastened, thus keeping the 
colt's head in line with his body, preventing accidents and 
securing an evenly made mouth and carriage. 

Pad-tree. A soft cushion, or stuffed part of a saddle or 
harness ; used to fill up a hollow, to relieve pressure, or as a 
protection from a saddle gall. 

Paddling". An erratic action of the forward feet by 
which the horse goes very wide, and swings the near or off, 
and sometimes both forward feet, outward, when at speed. In 
general, paddlers are bad scalpers, are liable to hop, and should 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 187 

never be used without scalpers and hind ankle boots with pas- 
tern attachments. 

Paddock. An enclosure near the stable in which horses 
are turned out for exercise, or when not required for work ; or 
for aid in restoring to health and soundness those which are 
recovering from lameness or sickness. It should have a sup- 
ply of water, and also an open shed under which the horses may 
go during showers or in the heat of mid-day. A paddock is not 
a pasture, and it must not be regarded as, in any sense, a graz- 
ing ground. 

Palfrey. A breed of saddle horses of the best type, 
such as kings and the nobility who had large studs kept for 
their own personal use when they rode privately, without state, 
or made short journeys. These Palfreys were under the pecul- 
iar charge of a private officer of the king's household, while 
the other horses of the stud fell to the care of the master of 
the horse, or officer of the stable. They were perfectly white, 
with round barrel and Barb head, originally from Spain or 
Barbary, and rarely exceeded the size of a Galloway. The 
breed is now nearly extinct. 

Pannel. The lining of the saddle which lies between 
the tree and the horse's back. 

Pantograph Snaffle. A double-barred snaffle bit. 
The joints of the bars are not in the center, but that of one 
bar is at a point one-third of its length to one side, that of the 
other one-third of its length to the opposite side ; so that, in 
operation, it has a double converging action, and is a very 
severe bit. It is designed for a hard puller, or a horse liable 
to take the bit in his teeth. 

Paralysis. A horse liable to attacks of paralysis, from 
having eaten ergoted hay, is unsound. 

Parker. A fashionable saddle horse. 

Parotid G-land. A gland situated under the horse's 
ears. When from any cause it becomes ulcerated, it is an 
unsoundness. 

Passage. A French term, signifjdng a short and very 
light trot, in which each fore limb, in its turn, when it is 
raised to the highest point, is poised in the air for an instant, 
and is bent at the knee and fetlock. Similar to the Spanish 
walk, and Spanish trot. 

Pastern. The short column of bones which is placed 
between the fetlock and the hoof; in comparative anatomy 
corresponding to the first phalanx of the middle finger of the 
human hand, or the first phalanx of the toe on the human 



188 HANDBOOK OF THE TURP. 

foot. When the pastern joint of one or both of the fore legs 

is perpendicular to the rest of the leg, instead of sloping back- 
ward, if this defect arise from work, the animal is unsound. 
With the hind legs this does not obtain, for a horse may be 
quite upright in the joints of the hind legs, and yet be perfectly 
sound. 

The pastern is the most important part of the leg. If the horse is to be 
used nnder the saddle the kind with long oblique pasterns are 
more elastic and graceful in their movements, than the sliort, upright 
sort, wliich are often unpleasant to the equestrian on account of 
the concussion produced by the more or less upright columns of 
bone. Very straight pasterns are not desirable on account of the 
concussion they are liable to produce, but even the long, oblique 
kind may be, and often are, overdone ; in them the strain upon the 
parts is liable to produce an irritation that in its txirn will cause 
ringbone. The pasterns of the fore leg are usually a little more 
uprii-'ht than those of the hind leg. — E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan 
State College Experiment Station. 

Pastern-bone. Either one of the two proximal pha- 
langes of a horse's foot ; the first phalanx being the great pas- 
tern, articulated, (or united), above with the cannon-bone at 
the pastern joint ; and the second phalanx, the small pastern, 
united below with the third phalanx, or coffin-bone, inclosed 
in the hoof. 

Pastern- joint. The joint, or articulation of a horse's 
foot, between the great pastern-bone and the cannon-bone. 

Patrol Judg'es. Persons appointed by the judges of a 
race to inspect the back turns and stretches of a track during 
a race ; to observe that the heats are trotted honestly, and to 
report to the judges any foul or improper conduct on the part 
of riders or drivers, if any has come under their observation. 
A patrol judge, while an agent of the judges, is, to all intents 
and purposes, a judge. Should there be one patrol judge at 
each of the four turns, then, if a claim of foul was made, the 
judges would be in a position to ascertain, from their official 
aids, the exact truth of the matter in each instance. 

Peat Moss. Used largely in city stables for bedding. 
It is free from odor, incombustible, lasting, and is never eaten, 
even by the most inveterate bedding-consuming horse. 

Pedig'ree. The line of descent; ancestry. A writing, 
or copy of records, giving the names, dates, etc., concerning 
the progenitors or ancestors of a certain horse, and establishing 
his descent from certain famous sires and dams ; an evidence 
of breeding. 

Pelliam. A combination bit of snaffle and curb, or a 
single bit with two pairs of reins, which acts either as a plain 
bar or curb — less severe than the true curb bit, and a bit 
which is much esteemed by jockeys, as it allows them to have 
complete control over their horses. The best racing bit. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 189 

Penalties. Added weight. As an illustration, take 
the following example : " Purse of |500, of which |570 to 
second and |30 to third. For three-year-olds ; winners of tw^o 
races to carry five pounds extra ; those that have not won a 
race allowed seven pounds. One mile." In all races exclu- 
sively for three-year-olds, the weight is 122 pounds. Now, if 
a horse was entered that had won two races, it would be 
obliged to carry 127 pounds; or, in other words, would carry 
a five pound penalty. Hence, a penalty is an added weight 
to the better horse. Penalties are invariably obligatory, but 
are not cumulative unless so declared by the conditions of a 
race. 

Performance. That which is accomplished ; as a heat, 
or race; any contest on a race course or track, between horses, 
or singly, for a prize or against time. 

Performance Against Time. A performance in 
which a horse starts to equal or beat a specified time; now 
regulated by rules of the National and American trotting asso- 
ciations. Performances against time are marked with a star, 
(*), in the Trotting Register, to distinguish them from records 
obtained in a race. See Against Time. 

Periplantar. The Charlier method of shoeing, by 
which the sole, frog and bars of the foot are left untouched by 
the knife ; the toe and front quarters of the crust, or wall of 
the hoof, is beveled into a groove, or recess, into which the 
thin plate of steel, or shoe, is fitted. Its object is to take the 
place of the perishable horn forming the circumference of the 
foot, and which is being constantly worn and broken away, 
replace it by a more durable material, and leave the parts of 
the foot to perform their natural functions unimpaired. See 
Charlier Shoe. 

Phalanges. The digital bones of the hand or foot 
beyond the metacarpus or metatarsus. The knee of the horse 
corresponds to the back of the wrist of man, and everything 
below it corresponds to the hand proper. The phalanges of 
the horse's foot are connected by hinge joints, allowing only 
motions of bending backwards and forwards ; viz : The large 
pastern, small pastern, and coffin-bone. 

Phenomenal Trotting". Remarkable ; unusual. The 
extreme speed attained during the decade, 1882 to 1893, the 
rapid and marvellous reducing of the trotting records, and the 
fast time made by individual animals, have been phenomenal 
— hence the term is one that has obtained recognized currency 
in turf language. 



190 HAN^DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Piaffer. [Eq.] A passage without gaining ground. 
A French term meaning the graceful position of the body of 
the horse and the harmonious precision of movement of the 
legs and feet. The most brilliant kind of piaffer is when the 
movement is slow, lofty, in true cadence and with a well- 
marked pause as each leg is raised to its highest point. 

Picking" Up, is the short for a driver's expression of 
"picking a horse up and setting him down in front;" which 
means the act of pulling the horse together ; rallying him for 
a great effort ; going to the lead. 

Pigeon Toed. A defective conformation whereby the 
feet point inwardly. AVhere the defect is such as to impede 
the horse in his work, but not otherwise, he is unsound. 

Pigskin, The. A jockey's saddle. 

Pinchers. The two front incisors of the upper and 
lower jaw of the first, and also of the permanent dentition, are 
called the " pinchers " or " pincher teeth." 

Pink-eye. A contagious influenza of horses; a febrile 
disease closel}^ allied to scarlet fever in man, so named from 
the pink color of the conjunctiva, (the mucus membrane which 
lines the inner surface of the eyelids.) Until cured, an 
unsoundness. 

Pipe-opener. A brisk exercise given the horse for the 
purpose of starting up his wind ; to open him out at a corking 
brush for the benefit of his breathing; to clear out his pipes. 
Mr. Marvin says of his training of Sunol: "A¥e trained her 
as usual, driving no more miles, but speeding fast quarters, 
with an occasional pipe-opener at a half." 

Place. The word place in racing means first, second or 
third. When a horse is decided by the judges to be first, 
second or third in a race he is said to be "placed," or gets a 
place; but in the betting a horse must "to win" be first; "for 
the place" be second or better; and "to show" be third. 
Horses are placed in the race in the position in which they 
passed the judges in the deciding heat. A horse not placed in 
a deciding heat has no place in the race, nor is he entitled to 
any portion of the prize or purse ; provided there is no third 
money, in which case the third horse in the race of heats is not 
to be deprived of third money if ruled out for not winning a 
heat in two, three or more heats, as the case may be. 

Placing Horses. In placing or ranking horses other 
than the winner in a race, the trotting rules require that those 
that have won two heats shall be regarded as better than those 
winning one; a horse that has won a heat is better than a 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 191 

horse making a dead heat ; one winning one or two heats and 
making a dead heat, better than one winning an equal number 
of heats but not making a dead heat ; one winning a heat or 
making a dead heat and not distanced in a race, better than 
one that has not won a heat or made a dead heat, and one that 
has been placed " second " one heat, better than a horse that 
has been placed "third" any number of heats. 

Planer. A track building and finishing machine made 
of several patterns, all similar in construction and operated 
much alike. In general they consist of a body or framework 
of wood and iron, upon fom- small iron wheels. Under this 
framework and between the forward and hind wheels are two 
cutters placed diagonally to the body of the machine and to 
the track, operated by means of levers controlled by screw 
purchase, and by which they are raised or lowered being thus 
properly adjusted to the work they have to do. The cutters 
are each about thirteen feet long, placed two feet apart ; the 
forward one usually has a serrated edge and is called a harrow ; 
the rear one is a plane scraper. When at work these machines 
dress or plane a section of the track from seven to nine feet 
wide. Xhe usual weight of such planers or track machines is 
about two thousand pounds. 

Plantar Cushion. A thick pad of fibrous tissue, 
situated behind and under the navicular and coffin bones, and 
resting on the sole and frog of the foot. It is wedge-shaped, 
the narrow, pointed end which is turned forwards and reaches 
to the middle of the under surface of the foot, causes the 
center triangular prominence known as the frog. The plantar 
cushion is one of the most important divisions of the foot, its 
office being to receive the downward pressure of the column of 
bones in the leg, and to destroy the concussion occasioned by 
rapid motion. See Frog. 

Plate. A light shoe, or protection for the foot, for run- 
ning horses ; a bar plate. They are made of steel or aluminum 
and weigh from one and three-fourths to four ounces, accord- 
ing to the size and also to the weight the horse is to carry. 
They have no calks and are each fastened with six smaU nails. 

Plate. A cup, flagon or other article of precious metal 

awarded to the winner in a contest, or to the owner of the 

winning horse; a sum of money offered as a prize in a speed 

contest, as the "king's plate," "members' plate." 

The trotter should be bred to trot just as the thoroughbred runs in 
phites.— American Horse Breeder. 

Plater; Selling- Plater. A horse that competes for 
a plate; "selling plater," is a horse of medium quality or what 



192 HA2S"DB00K OF THE TUKF. 

might be termed a low class race horse, such as start in selling 
races where the weight is graduated by the price. Class is 
determined by ability to go fast for a distance and carry 
weight, but the want of class makes the "plater." Still, many 
good horses go in such races, their owners backing them 
heavily and then buying them in. 

Play or Pay. An imperative ruling. In all match 
performances where the amount of the match is placed in the 
hands of the stakeholder one day before the event comes oft, 
the race becomes play or pay; that is, whether the match 
comes off or not the stake is forfeited and all the money goes 
as wagered. All English races are so declared, and it applies 
to all trotting and racing matches under American rules. 

Plebeian-Bred. Coarsely bred ; of cold, mongrel blood. 

"We thonglit nothing great could come from her plebeian-bred dam. — 
Training tlie Trotting Horse, Cliarles Marvin. 

Plug-. A common term for an old or used-up horse ; an 
awkward, untradable horse ; a lunk-head. 

Plug'g'ing'. The act of stopping horses' ears with cotton 

in order to render them more steady when in training or at 

work ; and to make them less liable to become rattled by the 

noise and confusion often occurring on tracks when horses are 

at work, or during a race. It is a method that does not succeed 

with all horses, and must be employed with great caution. 

A great many horses treated in this manner will act as tliongh they 
were dumb— will not try to go, and will stop to shake their heads 
when asked to trot. If you have a horse that you think will do 
better with this treatme'nt commejice with hina gradually. That 
is, in liis work put just a little cotton in his ears at first, or, what is 
still better, put it in his ears while he is in the stable, and let him 
get used to it in that manner. — Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Plung"e. A sudden and violent pitching forward of the 
body, in which the horse throws himself forward and extends 
the hind legs upward; the exertion of great force upon the 
propellers to plunge the body forward in an erratic manner. 
Mr. Marvin says of one of the horses which he trained : " At 
times she plunged violently." 

Plung'er. To lay large stakes; a dashing, reckless 
better ; a venturesome speculator. 

Plung'er. That part of the interior construction of the 
valve-stem in a pneumatic sulky wheel, which prevents the 
escape of the air. It consists of a small piston the head of 
which is beveled in cone-shape, which plays within the cylinder 
and is fitted between sections of rubber and felt packing. 
When the air is forced into the tire through this valve-stem by 
means of the air pump, the piston is forced back, or down 
against a minute spring fixed at the base of the stem ; and 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 193 

with the cessation of each stroke of the pump, this spring 
forces the piston up, the cone-point being pressed against the 
packing where it is kept in place, ^hus preventing the escape of 
the air. 

Pneumatic Sulky. A sulky having a rubber air- 
inflated, or pneumatic tire. See Sulky. 

Early in 1892, Sterling Elliott, a bicycle manufacturer of Newton, Mass., 
took tlie large wheels off an ordinary sulky and substituted a pair 
of 28-inch pneumatic bicycle wheels, (in exactly tlie same manner 
in which thousands of sulkies hav^e been altered since.) This sulky 
was taken to a private track and a trainer there employed was 
asked to hitch a horse to it and give it a trial. * * * He had not 
ridden the distance from the barn to the track before he began to 
look serioiis, and after tlie first lialf mile he made this earnest 
statement: "If I were going into a race for my life I would take 
that sulky in preference to any on which I ever sat." Dui'ing the 
next few days his opinion was endorsed by other horsemen, and 
Mr. Elliott at once took steps to secure such rights as he was 
entitled to under the patent laws. — Pneumatic Wheels and How to 
Apply Them. 

I have understood that the pneumatic tire sulky was first used in some 
place in New England. Its real adoption, however, was at the 
Detroit Grand Circuit meeting in 1892. There was one sulky sent to 
Budd Doble who would not iise it for Nancy Hanks. He loaned it 
to Ed. Geers who trotted the horse Honest George in it winning his 
race. At Cleveland, the week following, there were two sulkies, 
and it was at the Cleveland ineeting at which their superiority was 
positively demonstrated and admitted. From that on everybody 
got them as fast as it was possible to have them built and rigged. — 
Letter of Wm. B. Fasig, New York. 

Pneumatic Tire. A rubber tire fitted to contain air, 
attached to the outside of the felloe or rim of a sulky wheel. 
There are different patterns, some of which are one-piece tires, 
while others are fitted with a second or inner tire, smaller than 
the outer. They are molded whole, and are generally one and 
three-fourths inch in outside diameter. In the center of some 
tires, between the outer and inner sections of vulcanized rubber, 
is a section formed of two layers of Sea Island cotton, one- 
sixteenth of an inch in thickness, for the purpose of giving 
greater strength, and to which the inner tube is vulcanized. 
They are attached to the rim by means of shellac or a high grade 
of coach varnish, or by a cement, the composition of which is 
a manufacturers' secret. 

Pocket. A horse is said to be in a pocket when he is in a 
race, and is so confined behind a leading horse and between the 
pole and another horse, or with a horse on each side of him, 
that he cannot get out of his position. The act of his getting 
in such pocket may be ^ perfectly natural one, or it may have 
been aided by some one to get a competitor bottled up, or out 
of the way, or for the purpose of helping. 

Point Pockets. Small pockets in the saddle in which 
the ends of the points of the tree rest. 

13 



194 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 

Points. Exterior conformation. All those outward feat- 
ures or sections of the horse's form, which have different names 
and different functions, the union or combination of which 
make up the whole exterior of beauty and perfect service. 
The term points has commonly been used to describe the mem- 
bers, or legs of the horse, as in the phrase : " Bay with black 
points," meaning black legs; as though they were the only 
points possessed by the horse. In fact, however, every part of 
the exterior of the horse form a joint, point, or line to some 
other line or distinctive feature in his exterior conformation, is 
a point equally with his members or legs. Hence, the error of 
applying the word point only to them. The more correct 
expression to use in this instance, is : " Bay, with black extrem- 
ities ; " or, " bay, with black members ; " the word points should 
not be used in this connection. 

Points. A system, scheme or schedule of points cover- 
ing the conformation, breeding, health, and performance of a 
horse, each point represented by an equivalent number, the 
sum total of which is perfection ; used in scoring or judging, 
and by the test of which system an animal will score a certain 
number of points, the range of judgment extending from a 
cipher [0] up to the figures indicating perfection in each point 
— the sum total of each being cut for defects, or retained at or 
near perfection for the presence of excellencies. There is no 
one accepted standard of points; there are several distinct 
ones each of which have material differences. In some there 
are as few as thirteen points on structure or conformation ; in 
others as many as twenty or more, in each case the total scale 
reaching 100. Some schemes include educational points, or a 
given number for the good discipline of a saddle horse — others 
exclude this ; some include a health scale for soundness and 
freedom from vice ; while all embrace historical points which 
relate to pedigree, performance and quality or merit of offspring. 

Judgment. 





SCALE OF POINTS. 




Structural Points. Perfection. 


1. 


Head, 


7 


2. 


Neck, 


5 


3. 


Shoulders, chest, and forearms, 


8 


4. 


Barrel and conplinji-, 


8 


5. 


Quarters, croup, stifles and gaskins, 


10 


6. 


Ho(;ks, 


8 


7. 


Knees, 


6 


8. 


Canons and pasterns, 


6 


9. 


Feet, 


10 


10. 


Color and cont. 


6 


11. 


Size and substance. 


10 


12. 


Symmetry and style. 


8 


13. 


Action without speed, 


8 



Total, 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 195 



Historical Points. 

1. Pedigree, 40 

2. Perfonnaiice, 30 

3. Cliaiacler of progeny, 30 

Total, 100 

Point of the Hip. The bony surface, more or less 
prominent, which is a little to the rear of the last rib ; the 
anterior point of the pehds. 

Point of the Shoulder. The prominent bony angle, 
on each side of the chest, a little below the junction of the neck 
and shoulder. 

Point of the Tree. The wooden continuations of the 
gullet plate of a saddle. 

Point to Point. [Eng.] A phrase describing a race 
to take place from one point of a fair hunting country, to 
another given point ; which is not to be named till the time of 
starting, and is then to be named by a committee previously 
selected for the purpose. 

Pointer. An item of important information on a race, 
obtained in some surreptitious manner, which may be used 
with advantage by the person to whom it is communicated. 

Pointer. Any unnatural position assumed by the horse's 
foot, when standing, or any altered action which indicates 
lameness, is said to be a "pointer," or indicator of such trouble. 

Pole. The guard-rail on the inside of the track or course, 
often called the hub rail. When a horse is given the pole, he 
has the inside when the field starts. Posts erected at the quar- 
ter on a half-mile track, and at the quarter, half, and three-quar- 
ters on a mile track, for the purpose of catching the time made 
by horses at those points in a race. On many courses, poles or 
posts are erected at each furlong — eight to the mile. 

Pole Horse. The pole horse brings the field down to 
the wire, after which he has no rights over the other horses; 
but he has the right to the pole, provided he can keep it. The 
horse winning a heat takes the pole, or inside position, at the 
succeeding heat, and all other horses in the field take their 
positions in the order assigned to them in judging the previous 
heat, and so on until the race is finished. 

Poll. That part of the horse's exterior which is on top 
of the neck, immediately behind the ear. 

Poll Evil. Whether resulting from an injury, or a dis- 
ease between the bones of the neck, it is a legal unsoundness. 

Pommel. That part of the saddle, often called the head, 
which goes over the withers. 



196 HA-KDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

Pony. [Eng.] The sum of £25. 

Pool. The combination of a number of persons, each 
staking a sum of money on the success of a horse in a race, the 
money to be divided among the successful layers according to 
the amount put in by each. The box in whi<3h tickets on a 
race are placed, is called a pool-box. 

Port. The tongue-groove of the mouth-piece of a bit. 
Its use prevents the horse from taking the pressure on his 
tongue, as he might do if the bit were straight, and thus become 
heavy or dull in the hand. 

Port-bit. *A bit having a curved or open place in the 
center of the bar. In a perfect bit this groove or opening 
should be about two inches wide at the bottom and one inch at 
the top. 

Position. The station of the horse when standing atten- 
tion, or awaiting the rider's or driver's orders and signals. 

Position of Horses. Placing, or ranking. The posi- 
tion of horses in a heat or race has reference both to their 
position as starters and at the finish. As starters, positions are 
given by the judges, the place of each horse being determined 
by lot. This is overruled, however, on the racing turf by giv- 
ing the judges the right to place an unruly or a supposed vicious 
horse, where he cannot injure others. At the finish the win- 
ner of a heat has the inside position in the following heat, and 
the others take their positions on his right in the order in 
which they came out in the previous heat. See Drawing for 
Position, and Placing Horses. 

Post. [Eq.] The act of rising and sinking on the sad- 
dle, (when the horse is at the trotting gait), in accordance with 
the motion of the horse. 

Post. A pole or post marking a boundary, or certain 
division or point of the course ; as starting post, distance post, 
winning post. 

Post Stake ; Post Race ; Post Match. By the old 
rules of the turf, those by which the New York Jockey Club 
governed its races fifty years ago, a post stake was an amount 
or sum named at the starting post; and a post match for 
horses of a certain age, was one in which the parties had the 
privilege of bringing any horse of that age to the post, ready for 
starting, without having previously named him. The Turf 
Congress rules define a post race as one for which the sub- 
scribers declare at the usual time before a race for declaring to 
start, the horse or horses they intend to run, without other 
limitation of choice than the racing rules and the conditions of 
the race prescribed. 



HAN"DBOOK OE THE TUllF. 197 

Post to Finish. A term applied to the whole heat or 
race, especially on the running turf, and referring to the course 
of the race from start to wire; as, "an honest race from post 
to finish;" a square, handsome race all through. Also embrac- 
ing the rules relating to the trotting or running of a match or 
heat, as to riders, drivers, starting, fouls, finish, etc. 

Posterior Extremity; Posterior Member. That 
which is situated behind; the opposite of anterior, meaning 
before. In scientific language its meaning is the hind leg or 
hind limb of the horse. 

P. P. [Eng.] These letters in the announcements or 
programmes of the Grand National Hunts, indicate that the 
race advertised takes place from "point to point" of a fair 
hunting country. 

Prance ; Prancing-. The rearing or capering motion 
of a horse ; said of a horse in high fettle, that he is prancing ; 
riding with a proud step. 

Prepotency. The power of transmitting; ability to 
produce ; superior influence. 

The clear and uninterrupted succession of trotting qualities is what 
makes prepotent sires.— Walhice's Moutlily. 

Wlien one parent alone displays some newly-acquired and generally 
inheritable character, and the oft'sprin"g do not inherit it, the 
cause may lie in the other parent having the power of prepotent 
transmission.— Animals and Plants under Domestication, Charles 
Darwin. 

Private Sweepstakes is one to which no money is 
added, and which is not publicly advertised previous to the 
engagement being made. The racing rules say : " One made 
by the owners of the horses engaged without having been pub- 
licly open to any others." 

Produce Race. A match for which horses are named 
by whose produce the race is to be run ; the entries for such 
race specifying the dam and sire or sires. 

Propellers. The hind legs of the horse in distinction 
from the fore legs, which are termed the weight-bearers. Each 
limb is required to support the body and act as propeller in 
turn, and Prof. Stillman says the anterior one does more than 
its share of both ofiices. 

Propping". A form of restiveness similar to kegging. 
It is a vice. 

Propliet. [Eng.] A tipster ; one w^ho obtains information 
concerning horses, races and probable winners, in advance of 
the occurrence of the race. A business which was formerly 
a regular profession carried on by means of disguises by men, 
(and women too), who were able to assume a variety of char- 



198 HAIs-DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

acters. Prophets now form a regular craft who work for a 
weekly fee, or for percentages on successes ; they use the tele- 
graph, and send letters to the sportmg press. 

Propulsion. The act of propelling or driving forward; 
the rapid stride of a trotting or running horse. 

There is no act of extension further than the extension of tlie body 
upon the thigli. It is not until tlie center of motion, or lieacl of tlie 
tliigh has passed over tlie foot that extension is possible. * * * 
The act of propulsion begins from the moment tliat the hind foot 
takes the ground and its contraction begins.— The Horse in Motion, 
J.D. B. Stillman. 

Protecting" a Horse. A term referring to the act of 
the judges in protecting the pole horse, when the field is scor- 
ing, in not allowing any horse to come to the wire in advance 
of him. 

Protest. Any complaint or charge made against any 
horse, rider, driver or owner, or against the decisions of the 
judges, upon any feature of the race or heat ; whether com- 
plaining of a fraud or foul, or for the violation of any rule. 
The protest may be made verbally before the purse or winnings 
are paid, and reduced to writing when required ; charges to be 
filed with the evidence, under oath, when so demanded. 

Public Race. A public race is defined to be any con- 
test for stake, premium, purse or wager, and involving admis- 
sion fees, on any track or course, in the presence, and under 
the direction of duly appointed judges and timers. 

Pufiiness. Softness. An indication of a strain or 
injury to the tendons of the legs. 

Pullers. Horses that pull hard on the reins; those 
having hard mouths. It is believed to be contrary to the facts 
to say that a horse cannot pull hard and last. That they fail 
to stay is often the fault of their riders and drivers. 

There is no cure for a pulling horse, however, like that of not pulling 
against liim.— Joseph Cairn Simpson. 

Wlien a horse pulls I do not tliiidc it at all expedient to get rid of the 
pull by means of punishing bits, biidoons, or such like devices. 
Tlie trotter that goes at his best rate, while pulling hard, had best 
be borne witli. If you get rid of the pull by means of the appli- 
ances just alluded to, you will soon get rid of some of the trot.— 
The Trotting Horse of America, Hiram Woodruff. 

Pulling'. The act of slowing or lessening the speed of a 
horse during a heat, by the driver. If such act is performed 
Avith a design to prevent his winning a heat or place which he 
is perfectly able to win ; or for the evident purpose of aiding 
or perpetrating a fraud, such driver shall be taken from his 
sulky and another driver substituted, the offending horse pun- 
ished, and the driver fined, suspended or expelled, at the dis- 
cretion of the judges. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF, 199 

Pull to the Gait. The act of catching a horse, and 
bringing him to his gait, after a break. The trotting rules 
are very severe on a driver who neglects to instantly pull a 
horse to his gait should he break during a heat. If he does 
not do so, the horse is liable to be distanced, and the driver 
punished by fine or suspension. Different means are used by 
drivers to accomplish this, which must depend upon the dispo- 
sition of the horse and the manner in which he has been 
trained. 

Pulled Tog-etlier. [Eq.] A phrase indicating that the 
horse is well collected, or gathered. 
It is a very expressive term. — Tlie Book of the Horse, Samuel Sidney. 

Pull Up. To stop in riding or driving ; to pull up at 
the close of a heat when beaten ; the act of sawing the reins 
when a horse has the bit between his teeth, to make him dis- 
lodge it. 

If you find you are beaten easily, pull up; spare yonr horse, and avoid 
the cruel and unsportsmanlike practice of flogging a beaten horse 
all the way home.— The Book of the Horse, Samuel Sidney. 

Pulp of the Teeth. A soft substance furnished with 
blood-vessels and nerves, constituting the central axis of the 
tooth, and affording the means by which its vitality is pre- 
served. In teeth which have ceased to grow the pulp occupies 
a comparatively small space, which, in the dried tooth, is 
called the pulp-cavity; while with advanced age it often 
becomes obliterated, and the pulp itself converted into bone- 
like material. 

Pulse. The circulation of the blood through the heart, 
which, in the horse, is taken at the angle of the jaw where the 
artery crosses the bone. The normal beat is from thirty-six to 
forty-six times a minute, according to the breed, disposition 
and temperament. The various characteristics of the pulse are : 
Slow — where the number of beats is less than normal ; soft — 
where the beat is rather weak, but not over-rapid; small — 
where the sensation conveyed to the finger is one of lessened 
diameter of the artery ; full, strong — where there is a bounding 
sensation as thougli from an over-distention of the artery with 
each beat ; weak, feeble — where the beat is hardly perceptible ; 
quick — where the beats are more rapid than normal; ha7^d — 
where the beats are tense, incompressible, vibrating and more 
frequent than normal; irregular — where several pulsations 
come in quick succession, and are then followed by a pause ; 
intermittent — where the beat is lost at regular intervals. 

Pumice Sole; Pumice Feet. An inflammation of 
the feet, which results in an excessive growth of soft, spongy 



200 HAl^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

horn in front of the laminae of the toe, separating the coffin- 
bone from the hoof-wall. Its presence stamps the horse as 
unsound. 

Pumping. The act of lifting a horse by the bit, or 
pulling back on him, when in a race, then letting him out, 
and repeating the operation constantly, to induce speed ; urging 
a horse by the reins, as, " in the last heat Vet. Hanscomb 
pumped Honest John half the way round." 

Punishment. Any fine, or other penalty imposed by the 
judges upon a horse, rider or driver, for any improper con- 
duct or attempted wrong during a heat or race. All such 
punishments may be inflicted without notice or warning. The 
unnecessary or unwarranted flogging of a horse during a race 
or heat. 

Punter. [Eng.] One who lays a wager against a 
book-maker. 

Pure Gaited. A horse that trots squarely, without 
hitching, crossing, overreaching or swinging out ; a perfectly 
balanced trotter — such a horse is said to be "pure gaited." 

Purse. A specified sum of money, or other prize, 
offered by an association for a race, to which an entrance fee 
may, or may not, be required. Where an entrance fee is 
required, it is not returnable on the death of the horse or his 
failure to start. 

Push; Push Him. A term used to indicate that a 
driver or rider is urging, or forcing his horse; when such 
extra force is being used, it is said that he is "pushing him," 
or " pushing his horse." 

Put Up. When judges are dissatisfied with the manner 
in which a horse is being ridden or driven, they have the right 
to put another rider or driver in the saddle or sulky ; and this 
is termed to " put up," or putting up. For such act no inter- 
ference can be made by the owner, rider or trainer ; and any 
driver or jockey who refuses to be put up, may be at once 
ruled oif the course. 



Quality. A high degree of excellence in breeding; 
good blood ; hence, a good horse is one of quality ; a blooded 
one ; one giving evidence of character in the form and expres- 
sion of the head, the symmetry of the limbs, and the velvet- 
like softness of the hair and skin. More specifically quality is 
shown in the manifest superiority of texture, both of bone and 
muscle — the bone being compact, not cancellated; the muscles 
free from adulteration — that is, free from adipose and cellular 
tissue, fat, etc. Quality is mentally dependant on nerve-tissue, 
the source of all muscular motion, sensation and intelligence. 
Quality in individual points embraces a neat, expressive head; 
a countenance indicative of ability ; neat legs ; strengi/h, with 
refinement of make ; amj^le bones ; quality in the tendons ; 
courage and superior physical power. 

It is this quality of organism in its greatest perfection wliich enables 
the horse to stand up, under preparation and training, year and 
year, profiting by liis education and improving witli age, that 
makes the really valuable turf horse. It is a quality more valuable 
than speed, because whatever measure of speed it possesses can be 
depended upon and improved. In sliort, it is the quality wliicli 
distinguishes the thoroughbred from the dunghill. The number of 
heats and races won. and the number of successful years upon the 

i turf, are more reliable lamps by which the breeder' may guide his 
footsteps than the record of colt stakes and mere tests of speed. — 
Horse Breeding, J. H. Sanders. 

Quarters. Those parts of the body which embrace the 
fore and hind quarters — the former including the part from 
the withers and shoulder to the arm ; the latter from the hip 
and flank to the gaskin, or, in other w^ords, including the 
entire thigh and haunch. Both quarters should have that 
fulness and roundness which good judges so much admire in 
these parts of the horse. The quarters of the foot are the 
names given to the two sides, or lateral regions of the wall 
between the toe and heel, and known as the outer and inner 
quarters. 

Quarter Blanket. A blanket which reaches from the 
tail to a point just forward of the saddle, and is intended only 
for street use. 

Quarter Crack; Sand Crack. A crack or fissure, 
generally extending from the coronet downward, for a variable 
distance, in the direction of the horny fibers of the foot. 
Often caused by allowing the foot to grow long and the horn 

201 



202 HAisTDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

to become dry and hard, when the expansion of the foot at 
the coronet cracks the inelastic hoof below it. It is a legal 
unsoundness. See Sa^^d Crack. 

Quarter Cut ; Quarter Grabbing. The act of the 

horse when at speed, by which he grabs, or cuts the quarters 
of the fore feet by one or the other of the hind feet. This 
may be due to faulty conformation, but it is often caused by a 
misstep or a break. It is generally the outside quarter that is 
most liable to injury, and the special use of quarter boots on 
the fore feet is to prevent them from being cut by horses that 
are quarter grabbers. 

Quarter Horse. A horse that is good for a dash for 
a quarter of a mile at high speed ; a sprinter ; not a stayer for a 
long distance ; a quitter. 

Quarter Mile. World's running record to close of 
1893 : Bob Wade, four years old, at Butte, Montana, August 
20, 1890; 0.21|. 

Quarterstretch. The homestretch of the course. 

Queens of the Turf. The queens of the trotting turf, 
to the close of the year 1893, have been: 1. Lady Suffolk, 
gr. m. foaled in 1833; by Engineer 2d, (3); dam, by Don 
Quioxite, by Messenger; Hoboken, N. J., October 7, 1844, 
2:28. — 2. Highland Maid, (a converted pacer), b. m. foaled in 
1847; by Saltram; dam, Roxana, by Hickory; Centerville, 
N. Y., June 15, 1853, 2:27.-3. Flora Temple, b. m. foaled in 
1845; by Bogus Hunter; dam. Madam Temple, by the Terry 
Horse; East New York, N. Y., September 2, 1856, 2.24f She 
had a reign extending from 1856 to 1867, her best time being 
2:19|-, at Kalamazoo, Michigan, October 15, 1859. — 4. Gold- 
smith Maid, b. m., foaled in 1857; by Abdallah, (15), by 
Abdallah (1), Milwaukee, Wis., September 6, 1871, 2:17. She 
reigned from 1871 to 1878, her best time having been made at 
Boston, Mass., September 2, 1874, 2:14, when she was seventeen 
years old. — 5. Maud S., ch. m., foaled in 1874; by Harold, 
(413); dam. Miss Russell, by Pilot. Jr., (12). In 1880 she 
lowered the world's record, but her time was beaten the same 
year by St. Julien. At Rochester, N. Y., August 11, 1881, 
she trotted in 2:10|, and from that time to 1891 her reign 
was undisputed, except for a single day, (August 1, 1884), 
when Jay-Eye-See beat her at Providence, R. L, by three-quar- 
ters of a second. Her best time was made at Cleveland, Ohio, 
July 30, 1885, 2:08f.— 6. Sunol, b. m., foaled in 1886; by 
Electioneer, (125); dam, Waxana, by General Benton, (1755) ; 
Stockton, California, October 20, 1891, 2:08f — 7. Nancy Hanks, 
br. m., foaled in 1886 ; by Happy Medium, (400) ; dam, Nancy 



ha:n^dbook of the turf. 203 



Lee, by Dictator, (113); Terre Haute, Indiana, September 28, 
1892, 2:04. 

Ill a career extending from 1838 to 1851, Lady Suffolk won a total of 
eigJity-ihree races. Flora Temple had ninety-six winning races lo 
her credit, and her turf career extentled from 1852 to 1861. The 
career of Goldsmith Maid was largely made up of exhibition races. 
From 1867 to 1877 she won one hundred and fourteen contests, and 
made three hundred and thirty-two heats in 2:30 or better — a tri- 
umph never approached by any other animal. Her earnings dur- 
ing this time were over ^200,000. Her public career closed the year 
she was twenty years old, but in that year her campaign comi^rised 
twelve victories, in which she trotted seventeen heats better than 
2:20, including one in 2:14^. "The day she Avas twenty-one years 
old," writes John Splan, "Biidd Doble drove her for Governor Slan- 

• ford a mile in 2:26 — a performance I never expect to see any other 
animal make under similar conditions." Maud S. was nine years 
old when she trotted in 2:08|, The distinction, "Queen of the high 
wheel sulky," is claimed for her, by her record of 2:08| at Cleve- 
land, Ohio, July 30, 1885, the record of Sunol, at Stockton, California, 
October 20, 1891, of the same mark, 2:08J, having been made over a 
kite track. When Nancy Hanks trotted at Independence, Missouri, 
August 31, 1892, in 2 :05i, the trotting and pacing records were placed 
on an equality for that period. 

Queer. A term applied to a horse that is a kicker. To 
say that he is "queer beliind," means that he kicks and must 
be looked out for; as in the term, "this horse is queer." 

Quidding". The act of partly chewing the hay and 
allowing it to drop from the mouth. It is a habit generally 
due to irregular teeth. In cases where, from irregular teeth, 
the sides of the mouth become lacerated, quidding is an 
unsoundness while it lasts. 

Quietness. A warranty of soundness does not imply 
quietness on the part of the horse sold. 

Quintet, The. [Eug-] The five mighty reunions or 
meets of the English turf, viz : Epsom, Doncaster, Goodwood, 
Ascot and York, are known as "the quintet." 

Quit. To stop in a race. 

It is my idea that the more finely organized and better bred a horse is, 
the more liable he is to quit when out of condition. — Life with the 
Trotters, John Splan. 

Quitting". The act of giving up a heat or race. It is 
said of a horse that lacks courage that he is a "quitter;" the 
term denoting not so much want of training and work, as lack 
of real courage or nervous force. 

True quitting is a mental quality — cowardice, faint-heartedness.— 
Training the Trotting Horse, Ch'aiies Marvin. 

Some quitters are fair campaigners. This fact may tend to show that 
quitting is a mental, and not a physical infirmity; a lack ot cour- 
age and perseverance ratlier than of hardiness, which I believe to 
be the general opinion of horsemen. — Wallace's Montldy. 

Quittor, may be described as a number of abscesses, in 
most cases at the coronet, towards the quarters or heels, giving 
great pain and causing much lameness. It indicates a very 
serious condition of the feet, and is a legal unsoundness. 



Race. A race includes any purse, match, stake, premium 
or sweepstakes for which a contest of speed is made by horses, 
over any course or track. The term includes both trotting 
and running contests, and whether in harness, to wagon or 
under the saddle. Hence racing means the sport or practice of 
trotting and running horses. A public race is understood to 
mean a race for any prize, for which an admission fee is 
charged, and at which judges and timers take direction of the 
trial. 

Race Record. A record obtained in a regular race, as 
distinguished from a record made against time. _ 

Horses with race records bring tlie best prices. — Tiie Horseman. 

Racer. The thoroughbred English or American horse ; 

a running bred horse. 

In a worlc published at London in 1836, entitled " Comparative View of 
the Form and Character of the English Racer and Saddle Horse 
During the Last and Present Centuries," embellished with eigJiteen 
fine plates of famous horses, a celebrated racer called Old Partner, 
foaled in 1718, is represented as galloping in clothing Avliich greatly 
conceals his form. So also in the portrait of the famous racer, 
Sedbnry, foaled in 1734, (both painted by Seymour, a noted animal 
painter), tlie horse's body is much concealed by clothing — a large 
blanket being strapped closely about his body, extending up on the 
neck one-third of the way to the poll, with an apron fastened around 
his breast and dropping nearly half way to the knees. Both horses 
are represented at full running speed. 

Racing Calendar. A stud book; a registry of the 
pedigrees and performances of running horses. It is said that 
the first English racing calendar was issued by John Cheny in 
1727. The English Jockey Club, which had been established 
seven years previous to this period, had taken an active part in 
preserving pedigrees of horses, which were probably published 
in this first calendar. In 1751 the records that had appeared 
in this old calendar and other sporting publications, were com- 
piled and published in a collected form, but it was not until 
1791 that the English Stud Book appeared in its present shape, 
since which time it has been continued to this day. 

The publication of the Stud Book marked an era in the science of 
breeding. It was the first effort to establisli special books for 
recording animal pedigrees for preservation and for purposes of 
study; and the ]iractice has spread to every land where tliorough- 
breds are bred, and the method has been extended to every impor- 
tant breed of live stock. English racing first showed that super- 
iority could only be maintained by purity of blood. It took a 

204 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 205 



hundred years or more to establish that doctrine so as to be 
generally accepted. The annual publication of tables of " winning 
sires" began many years before the Stud Eook appeared. We have 
now such annual tables extending back for more than a hundred 
years, and, from a careful study of the earlier ones, men came to 
see that success, as shown by winnings, came from purity of blood, 
and not from wide admixture. — Dr. W. H. Brewer, Yale College. 
The standard of admission to tlie first volume of the Stud Book appears 
to have been simply creditable performance upon the turf, as 
shown by the Racing Calendar, it being taken for granted that no 
horse could be a creditable performer that was not well bred— an 
assumption that has never yet been found at fault.— Horse Breed- 
ing, J. H. Sanders. 

Racing" Plate. A very narrow, light rim of steel or 
aluminum, weighing not more than from two to three ounces, 
about half an inch in width, and used as a shoe for running- 
horses. The rules of the Tm-f Congress forbid the use of shoes 
in races, but allow that of a plate. 

Rack ; Kacking". A gait which is a modification of 
the pace, and is often very appropriately called single footing. 
In racking the fore feet move as in a slow gallop, while the 
hind feet move as in a trot, or pace. When the horse is going 
at this gait, we hear the four distinct strokes of the four differ- 
ent limbs, for each foot strikes the ground singly, and inde- 
pendent of the others. In making the complete revolution, 
therefore, the count is — one, two, three, four — one, two, three, 
four; while in either trotting or pacing the comit is — one, 
two ; one, two. The confusion of terms regarding this gait is 
occasioned by the fact that the gait itself is somewhat varied 
according as the horse which racks carries the one or the other 
fore foot foremost in the galloping action of the fore feet. 
Hence many have confounded the rack with the pace and used 
the words synonymously. A horse which racks after a slower 
trot, is esteemed much inferior to one which only changes to 
this gait after moving at a greater speed. 

Rank of Distanced Horses. When horses are dis- 
tanced in the first heat of a race, their rank is equal; but when 
they are distanced in any subsequent heat, they rank as to 
each other in the order of the positions to which they were 
entitled at the start of the heat in which they were distanced. 

Ranks, The. A term used to describe that portion of 
the field not up to par ; those far in the rear of the contending 
horses; the "rank and file," or common members of the field. 

Rarey Corel ; War Bridle. A simple halter used in 
giving colts their first lessons in harness where they have not 
been well broken to the halter, or not handled till two or 
three years old. It is made of a piece of sash-cord fourteen 
feet long. Tie a good knot at the end by putting the end 
through twice before tieing down. Tie a half-knot, (a regular 



206 HAIS"DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

halter knot), about one foot from this and put the end knot 
through, making a small loop that will fit the colt's under jaw. 
This knot and loop should be wound with soft cloth or leather 
before being used. Standing on the near side, put the small 
loop over the neck, pass the long end through the loop and 
draw down to about the size of a headstall. Pass the right 
hand under the jaw, and take firm hold of the nose on top, 
with the left hand slip the small loop on the under jaw, place 
the rope on top of the neck close to the ears. In two or three 
lessons with this cord, any colt, however high tempered, can 
be taught to lead in any place, or in any manner desired by 
the trainer. 

Rarey System, The. The system of educating horses 
generally known as the Rarey System, and practiced with so 
much success by Mr. John S. Rarey, its originator, is based 
upon these three simple principles : 1. That any young horse 
can be taught to do anything that a horse can do, if taught in 
a proper manner. 2. That no horse is conscious of his 
strength until he has resisted and conquered a man ; therefore, 
that the colt should always be handled in such manner that 
he shall not find out his strength. 8. That as seeing, smelling, 
feeling and hearing are the senses by which the horse examines 
every strange object, we may, by allowing him to exercise 
these senses, reconcile him to any object or sound that does 
not hurt him. It is, undoubtedly, the recognition of these 
principles and their practice in horse management, to which is 
due the success of the various systems of educating colts, and 
handling or subduing vicious horses, in use by many horsemen 
and professional trainers of the present day. 

Rating Driver. A term applied to the driver in a 
race who comprehends at each step the rate at which his horse 
is going, and is able to so gauge and control him iu such man- 
ner as to make him do his best, save himself and yet win. Such 
a driver, however, is unable to rate the speed of any horse in 
the race but his own. 

Crit Davis I call a rating driver: he seems to know abont how well his 
horses can jj,o before they start, and tlien rates them along to accom- 
plish the mile in that way. — Lite with tlie Trotters, Jolm Splan. 

Ration. Fodder ; provender ; the daily feed for a horse. 
Hay and oats form the " staff of life " in the keep of the horse. 
The only hay that should ever be given is clean, pure Timothy. 
Old hay is always preferable to new. If possible it should not 
be used till a year old ; crisp, clean, fresh, free from dust, of a 
greenish color, and possessing a sweet, pleasant smell. New 
hay is hard to digest, is liable to produce excessive salivation 
and purging. A normal ration is four pounds at a feed, three 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 207 

times a day. Of the grains, oats always take the lead. The 
usual ration is from ten to twelve quarts a day in three equal 
rations. Barley is frequently used for work horses. Corn is a 
heavier food than oats, more fattening, but may be given in 
cold weather, in small quantities, cracked and mixed with oats, 
(in some cases), but generally preferred whole. A bran mash 
serves to keep the bowels open and may be given once or twice 
a week, according to condition. Always give it at night. Of 
the roots, potatoes and carrots are most esteemed. These are 
the general essentials, to be varied according to the condition 
of the horse, the work he is doing and the work required of 
him in the future. The subject of feeding is a whole study in 
itself, and one which the groom should master in all its 
details, according to the individual peculiarities and different 
constitutions of each of the horses under his care. See Bran 
Mash and Oats. 

Kattled. When a horse becomes confused or unsteady 
in a race, is obstinate and unmanageable, he is said to be " rat- 
tled," to have his head turned. 

Ill the confusion Palo Alto became rattled and made a very bad break. 
—Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Readying". [Eng.] Explained by the quotation : 

Trial in a horse case. Question: Do you mean to say that you don't 
know what was meant by "readying" Success? Answer: Of course 
I know what it means. It means i)ulling. — London Standard. 

Rearing". When a horse rears furiously the rider should 
bend well over the horse's neck, lower the hands and pull him 
vigorously to one side or the other. Rearing is a serious vice. 

Record. A fact written down officially for preservation 
and future reference ; the time made in a race ; the best 
recorded achievement of speed. Every public performance for 
a purse, stake or premium must be timed, and the time thus 
made written down in a book and attested by the signatures of 
the judges. This writing in the book is the record, and when 
once made must remain till blotted out. When one horse trots 
against another the time made by the horse first to pass under 
the wire is recorded against him. When a horse trots against 
time, say to beat 2:28, and the time is recorded as 2:28|, that 
time is officially ascertained and must be officially recorded. 
The common theory that because a horse fails to win he fails 
to make a record, does not hold. In hundreds of instances a 
horse is first in a heat and is distanced in the next, and fails to 
win a dollar. But he has made a record. 

Record Breaker. Any horse that lowers a record ; a 
horse making faster time than that which has previously stood 
as the record for age, class or distance. 



208 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Recovery. A catch at breaking which brings the horse 
to his gait. When the horse at such time catches his gait and 
goes to speed, he is said to " recover"; to have recovered. 
Everybody knows that pacers are ordinarily not as handy in recover- 
ing from a break as are trotters.— Wallace's Monthly. 

Rectang'ular Course. A rectangle is a plane having 
all its angles right angles, and its opposite sides consequently 
equal. Hence a rectangular track or course is one commonly 
called a four-cornered track, with four short stretches and four 
turns ; of which the track at Terre Haute, Indiana, on which 
Nancy Hanks made her record of 2:04, is an example. 

Keefiiig". Driving for every inch of speed the horse has 
in him ; using the whip ; urging ; hard driving ; forcing the 
pace by every known means ; rallying the horse by voice and 
rein to his best effort. 

Refuser. A horse that refuses an obstacle or a hurdle, 
either from fear, contrary disposition, having been badly edu- 
cated, is afraid of forcing his bit, or of hurting himself when 
taking-off. By the turf rules, a refuser having been led over 
an obstacle, is disqualified from winning, although he comes in 
first. 

Registry Certificate. A certificate from any estab- 
lished or well recognized registry association for recording 
either pedigrees or records, that the pedigree or record of which 
it is a copy, has been duly received and is eligible to registry 
and publication. 

Regular Meeting". A regular meeting is construed to 
mean a meeting advertised in a public journal not less than 
one week before the commencement of the same, and at which 
meeting no less than two regular events, (purse or stake), take 
place on each day, to which an entrance fee is paid or a sub- 
scription made ; entries must be made as provided in all cases, 
and matches or races must take place over the tracks of the 
National or American Associations. 

Regulation Track. A regulation track is one gener- 
ally understood to mean a track the stretches and turns of 
which are each eighty rods long ; again it has been taken to 
mean one in which the stretches are shorter and the turns 
longer. But the shape of a track will always depend much 
upon the lay of the land. That at Springfield, Mass., has 
stretches one hundred rods long, and turns correspondingly 
shorter; the track at Rigby Park, Maine, has seventy rod 
stretches and eighty rod turns, and the track at Terre 
Haute, Ind., has four stretches and four short turns — yet they 
are all regulation tracks. On a regulation track the horses 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 209 

start from a wire stretched across the track from the judges' 
stand, and finish at the same point. In another sense a regu- 
lation track has come to mean a track in membership with the 
National or American Trotting Associations, as distinguished 
from a free track, or one not in membership with either 
association. 

Reins. That part of the harness consisting of leading- 
lines or straps, passing through the Ds on the gig-saddle, and 
fastened to the bit on each side, by which the horse is guided. 

Reiu-lback. The act of moving a horse backward by 
the reins. 

Rein-liolder. A clasp or clip on the dashboard of a 
carriage by which to hold the reins after the driver has 
ahghted. 

Rein-holders. Devices in the form of adjustable metal 
buttons or clamps, to prevent the slipping of the rein in the 
hand, thus enabling the driver to obtain a better hold upon 
the reins in controlling the horse. 

Rein-hoolt ; Water-liook. A hook on the gig-saddle 
or jack-saddle of a harness for the purpose of securing the 
check or bearing rein in place. 

Reinsnian. A person skilled in managing horses ; an 
expert driver. 

Reinforced Girth. A saddle girth having a double 
thickness or backing of strong leather is called a "reinforced 
girth." Long before the use of the bike sulky, John Splan 
wrote : " Be sure and have a good, strong saddle and an extra 
wide, soft girth, as there is where most of the strain comes on 
a track harness." This is even more true with the pneumatic 
sulky than before, and the need of reinforced girths is conse- 
quently greater. 

Reinstatement. The act of restoring one to a position 
from which he has been removed. All persons who may have 
been suspended by the judges of a race from any cause, have 
the right of appeal from such decisions or rulings, which 
appeal, with a statement of all the facts in the case, goes to the 
Board of Review or Board of Appeals of the governing associa- 
tion, where it is carefully considered, and in many cases the 
horse, party, or track suspended, is again reinstated to full 
privileges. 

Repeat. To give a horse an additional exercise of a 
mile, after he has ah-eady been driven one mile ; as " a mile 
and repeat." 

14 



210 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Repeater. A watch that, on the compression of a 
spring, indicates the seconds and fractions of a second; a 
watch often known as a split-second watch, by which horses 
are timed in a race. 

Resilience. Resistance backwards ; a term denoting the 
resistance which a horse and sulky meet in passing through 
the air at a high speed. 

Responding'. A term describing the act of the horse 

in understanding and yielding to the wishes of his rider or 

driver; more especially used in speaking of the action of a 

horse under the saddle. 

Some men inspire confidence so readily that a horse will talce liold and 
do all he Icnows tlie first time the man di'ives liim. For another 
man the same horse will not trot a yard. — Hiram Woodruff. 

Rest. It is an interesting fact that a horse never rests 

on two legs, but always on the two anterior or forward, and one 

posterior or hind leg, so that the center of gravity always falls 

within a triangle. 

The tendinous fibers or tissues, (serratus muscle), of tlie fore legs are 
incapable of i atigue, hence the horse has no occasion to rest them, 
and will stand in his stall all day without resting" either of his 
forelegs; while in the hind leg the labor falls upon tlie triceps of 
pure nuisctilar fiber and he will be observed to rest his hind legs 
alternately.— The Horse in Motion. J. D. B. Stillman. 

Resting Break. A change of gait made quickly by a 

horse at high speed for the purpose of giving an instant of 

rest to the muscles of locomotion ; very different from that 

made by the unsteady, hard-mouthed, repeated breaker in a 

race. 

Sometimes a horse seeks relief in a break, but as to the ultimate 
benefit of "resting breaks" I am skeptical. I think the steady 
horse makes the mile with gieater ease than the one that engages 
in the rather violent exercise of "breaking and catching." — Train- 
ing the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Restiveness stands at the head of all the vices of the 
horse, for it includes many different vices and assumes forms 
which are dangerous to rider and groom. Among the different 
forms are pawing, or striking with the fore feet; rearing; 
plunging; kegging; gibbing, or backing; propping, and kick- 
ing. Generally these various forms of restiveness are the 
result of bad temper and worse education, and like most habits 
founded on nature and confirmed by education are inveterate. 

Review, Boards of. The board of review of the 
National Trotting Association is made up of one member from 
each district of the board of appeals, and possesses the 
authority and performs the office and duties which belong to 
the board of appeals, and has jurisdiction on such matters relat- 
ing to the turf arising in their respective districts, " as may be 
delegated to them by the board of appeals." Of the American 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 211 

Trotting Association there is a board of review in each state, 
district and territory of the United States, and in each foreign 
state or country in which there is one or more members, which 
has "original jurisdiction of all matters relating to the turf 
arising on the grounds of members in such state," as well as 
all cases of appeal brought to it under the by-laws of the 
association. 

Rbeumatism. A form of inflammation attacking the 
fibrous structures, (tendons, joints, muscles, etc.), of the body; 
largely dependent on constitutional predisposition transmitted 
from ancestors to offspring. It is an unsoundness only when 
it has become a determined and constitutional complaint ; and 
where no relapse of it has occurred for some time, and it may 
be considered a permanent cure has been effected, the animal 
may be given a certificate of soundness. 

Ribs. The region of the ribs of the horse is bounded by 
the shoulders in front; by the flanks behind; by the back 
above, and by the belly and brisket, (sternum), below. 

Ribbons. Reins ; leading-lines to a harness by which 

the horse or horses are controlled. To " handle the ribbons " 

is to drive ; to hold the reins. 

Jim Keegan handled the ribbons over tlie six fine grays when President 
Grant was received in Augusta, in fine style; and many a man on 
the street jio doubt tliought him a more important person tliau tlie 
President.— Daily paper. 

Ride ; Rider. To be carried on the back of a horse ; 
to sit in a sulky or buggy and manage a horse in motion ; to 
ride a race. Hence a rider is a person who rides on horse- 
back; one who is skilled in horsemanship. 

Ride and Tie. A method of riding by two persons 
having but one horse between them, much practiced in early 
times by those travelling. The plan was for one person to 
ride half a mile or more, according to the agTeement, then 
dismount, hitch the horse and walk. The second person 
coming up on foot would take the horse and ride his turn, 
going ahead of the one walking, and tieing the horse for him 
for his next turn at riding, and so on the entire distance. 

Riding" a Race. The four different methods or tactics 
to be used in riding a race are denominated: 1. Waiting; 2. 
Making the running ; 3. AVaiting in front ; 4. Keeping with 
one's horses. See particular definitions under each heading. 

Ridgling ; Ridg-el ; Rig-got. A male animal having 
one testicle ; a horse half castrated ; a nag. The courts have 
decided that a ridgiing is a horse ; not a gelding. 

Rig-. A jockey's outfit. The colors worn by jockeys are 
often gorgeous and brilliant. Generally the oldest stables 



213 HANDBOOK OF THE TFRF. 

have the simplest and least variegated colors ; the newer ones 
the most complex. Among the former are the blue jacket 
with orange sleeves and blue cap ; and the blue jacket, orange 
sleeves and orange cap. In some, stripes of color run in rings 
around the body of the jacket, or around the sleeves, or the 
cap; in others the colors are in vertical or diagonal lines. 
There are over two thousand running stables in the United 
States, the riders of no two being rigged in precisely the same 
colors or combination of colors. 

Him. The felloe of a sulky wheel, of wood or steel, 
which forms the support of the tire, and into which the spokes 
are inserted. Hickory is the wood most used for this purpose ; 
and when the rim is made of steel, for holding the pneumatic 
tire, it is rolled cold, united with a brazed joint. 

Rlng'bone. Bony growths which usually begin as 
inflammation of the membrane covering the bones at such 
points in the structure as give attachment to ligaments, viz : 
on one or both pastern bones, and which sometimes extend to 
the interphalangeal joints. In cases where the flexibility of 
the cartilage is altered or lost, it is an unsoundness ; but where 
it is only in front of the pastern bone, and not in the way of 
any joint, or approaching the heels, it is a blemish. 

R-iiig"er. A horse that has been painted or disguised to 
represent another or different horse, with the intent to have 
him concealed in identity, in order that he may be taken in 
different circuits and entered in a class slower than that in 
which he belongs, and thus win races and obtain purses in a 
fraudulent manner. Consular rules have been adopted by 
England and Germany prohibiting the importation of horses 
from this country, for racing purposes, unless the owner lodges 
with the secretary of the track a certificate of identity, pedi- 
gree and record, from the secretary of the National Trotting 
Association of the United States. All turf rules have severe 
punishment for a horse that is a ringer, and many of the 
states have enacted laws making the operations of a ringer a 
crime punishable by imprisonment of its owner, agent or 
driver. See Law. 

The man who starts out with a ringer, starts out to steal. — Spirit of the 
Hub. 

Roach or Hig"h-back, the reverse of low-back, or 
saddle back, is held to be a blemish. 

Road Cart. A jogging cart ; a sulkyette ; a half-sulky 
for road purposes. Built somewhat heavier than a speed 
sulky, weighing from seventy-five to eighty pounds, having a 
low foot-rest, and dasher for protection of the legs from mud 
and dirt. 



HANDBOOK or THE TUKF. 213 

Roadster. A carriage horse as distinguished from a 
*peed or draft horse ; a gent's driver ; a horse used in driving 
for pleasure. He should weigh 1100 pounds, be handsome in 
every outline and point ; showy ; sound. He should have his 
nose above the line of his back ; be well proportioned ; well 
"setup"; kind; fast. The best color is bay. 

The ideal roadster starts slowly, gradually warms up to his work, and 
after ten miles or so, (just as the infeVior liorse has had enough), 
begins to be full of play. Such pre-eminently is llie habit of the 
Morgan family. — Roatl, Track, and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 

It requires a combination of qualities rarely met with in any animal to 
make a perfect road horse. I fintl it much easier to select and 
buy a first-class race horse than a road horse which would please 
the ordinary road driver. It will be impossible to find one that will 
be perfect in three or four different positions, or in other words you 
cannot expect to use your horse in the ordinary family carriage 
live days in a week and then have him able to go at a high rate ol 
speed the other two. In picking out a road horse, always be sure 
and buy one that is perfectly sound. Test the horse thoroughly as 
to kindness and ability to draw weight at a high rate of speed. — Life 
with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Roaring'. A wheezing, or hoarse rasping sound made 
in the upper part of the windpipe, (larynx), in breathing, and 
especially when excited, or galloped up a steep hill, or put to 
rapid work. It is generally due to paralysis and wasting of 
the muscles on the left side of the larnyx, which opens the 
channel for the air, and in such cases the roaring is only pro- 
duced in drawing air in. Roaring is an unsoundness. 

An animal that is a roarer should not be used for breeding purposes, 
no matter how valuable the stock. The taint is transmissible in 
many instances, and there is not the least doubt in the -minds of 
those who know best that the offspring whose sire or dam is a 
roarer, is born with an hereditary predisposition to the affection. — 
W. H. Harbaugh, V. S. 

Rolls. Devices used upon the ankle of the horse for 
various preventive purposes. The calking roll is to prevent 
him from standing in the stable with one foot on another ; the 
shoe-boil roll is to prevent the horse from getting the calk of 
the shoe under the arm w^hile lying down, causing a shoe-boil ; 
the shin roll is used as a protection to the legs between the 
knee and ankle. They are made of buckskin or enameled 
leather, web or kid, and often stuffed with hair to render them 
soft. 

Rolling'-motion Shoe. A shoe specially fitted for 
horses inclined to stumble, or for those having a peculiar 
motion of the fore legs, to assist them in a more balanced 
action. The shoe has four calks, and is of great convexity on 
the ground surface. It is designed to give the horse more 
action and make him raise his feet high, so that, in placing 
them down, there is nothing to impede his movements or 
cause him to stumble, as is often the case with horses shod 
with shoes havms- the ordinary toe-calk. 



214 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Koomy. A term used in describing a perfectly shaped 
brood mare ; as a horse having a long, deep, wide middle, 
with a well-developed pelvic boundary. 

Kosettes. Metal ornaments attached to the upper parts 
of the side pieces of a headstall ; embossed and plain ; con- 
taining fancy device, initial or monogram. 

Koug-li-g-aited. A horse is said to be " rough-gaited " 
when he travels in a hitching, unbalanced way ; a horse that 
hobbles, falters and breaks in his ordinary gait, or when put 
to speed. 

Hounding" To. A term used to denote the art of again 
getting a horse into condition after a hard race. It takes 
some horses a long time to recover, others will do it more 
quickly. Mr. Marvin says : " On returning from the East, I 
found Wildflower and Manzanita somewhat broken up, and 
both were some time in 'rounding to' again." 

Round-course. What was, without doubt, the first 
round, circular or oval race track ever built, was that estab- 
lished at Newmarket, England, in 1666. It was three miles, 
four furlongs and one hundred and seventy-eight yards long. 

Rowel. One of the short, pointed arms on the circle, 
or wheel of a horseman's spur. 

Rowley Mile. Where the two thousand guineas stakes 
is run — ^the important opening three-year-old event of the year 
on the English turf. The distance was formerly one mile one 
yard ; but is now one mile eleven yards. 

Rubber. A person who rubs down, dresses or cares for 

horses; especially one who rubs a race horse after he has 

trotted or ran a heat or race ; a person who has graduated as 

a stable-boy and is apprentice to a trainer. 

In attending to a horse as famous as Rarus, the head rubber must be, 
on every clay of the trotting season, prepared to act as a reception 
committee to thousands of people, many of whom have, apparently, 
no idea of the responsibilities that are involved in the care of such 
an animal. Morrel Higbie Avas the best rubber I ever saw. He 
remained with me until the day Rarus was sold, and afterward 
rubbed for me the pacer Johnston. — Life with the Trotters, John 
Splan. 

Rubber Tire. The term generally used in describ- 
ing the pneumatic tire of the bike sulky. A rubber tire is 
described by Mr. Samuel Sidney, in his " Book of the ELorse," 
published in 1880, which is, undoubtedly, the first mention of 
such a tire having been used for carriages in England or 
America. He says: " India-rubber tires are a great ' luxury ; 
they give to a wheeled carriage the smoothness of a sledge on 
hard snow, and subdue nearly all the rattle and noise of 
wheels. But they are usually made on a wrong principle. If 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 215 

india-rubber is stretched, every cut continually widens, and the 
tire is speedily destroyed. Tires made on a directly opposite 
plan ^i.11 endure for an unlimited period; that is, a thick, 
hollow tube of india-rubber shrunk on an iron core shorter 
than the rubber, and coiled round a wheel grooved to receive 
it. This kind of india-rubber has been used for many years 
on two carriages, by Mr. Ransome, the agricultural implement 
maker, of Ipswich," 

Ruck, To Coine in Witli the. To come in with the 
ruck, is to arrive at the winning post among the unplaced 
horses. 

I once knew a chappie not famed for his luck, 

Who to punting was niuclily addicted; 
But the lun-ses lie baclced. to a place " in the ruck " 

Were, witli scarce an exception, restricted. 

— Bird o' Freedom. 

Rudder and Compass. [Eq.] In horseback riding, 
the head and neck of the horse are said to be at once the rud- 
der and compass of the rider. 

Rules. When an appeal to the rules is made, or the 
rules are referred to, it means, for the trotting turf to the rules 
of the National or American associations ; for the running 
turf to those of the American Turf Congress. 

Rule of the Track. In all driving on the track, or 
course, the rule is to turn to the left in meeting, not to the 
right, as in driving on the highway. See Law of the Track. 

Ruled Out; Ruled Off. A term used to imply a 
punishment to an offending horse, rider or driver. Horses 
may be ruled out for interfering with other horses or failing 
to keep positions, and an offending horse may be ruled out in 
case of collisions or break-downs, for which he is responsible. 
A horse ruled out for fraud retains his record, or bar. Drivers 
and riders may be ruled out for improper, corrupt or fraudu- 
lent practices. In the summary of a race the letters "R. O.," 
following the name of a horse at any given heat, mean that 
such horse was ruled out of the race on that heat. 

Rumbling. A low, rattling, rumbling sound of the 
bowels, technically called borhorygmus. It is an unpleasant 
fault in a horse, not an unsoundness. 

Run. The leaping, or springing gait of a horse; an 

acceleration, or quickening of the action of the gallop, with 

two, three, or all the feet off the ground at the same instant 

dming the stride ; a race, as " the horses were matched for a 

run at Morris Park." 

Thernnisthe perfect gait of the horse, for it is tliat which displays 
most perfectly the play of all liis locomotive organs, and by which 



21C HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

he attains his greatest speed.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. 
Stillaiaii. 

Kun Big". A horse that runs when quite fat, and yet in 
good training, is said to " run big." The term applies more 
particularly to the English turf. 

Run Fine. For a horse to " run fine " is to carry no 

superfluous flesh ; trained fine ; in high form. 

All race-horse men will tell you that some horses run big, and others 
run tine — that is, that sonie are at their best when rather stouter 
than what, on the average, is regarded as perfect condition, while 
otliers show the higliest form when trained pretty "line," but the 
latter are in the minority. That some horses are at their best 
when very fine is true beyond question; but I know that in the 
great majority of cases a horse, to be in Ihe pink of condition, must 
carry a quite fair degree of fiesli— a good smooth coating over tlie 
ribs, not feeling gross and tl)ick to the hand, but amply covering 
the bones. — Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Kun-in. A term used more especially in the hunt and 
steeplechase, where the horses come in in fine style at the 
close ; but also used in describing the finish of a running race, 
as, "a fine run-in," "a fine finish." That part of the course 
on which the finish of a race takes place ; the last quarter ; 
the straight. 

Run off ; Run out. [Eng.] The habit which many 
horses have of turning away from fences, when in the chase, 
and, instead of taking them, turn rapidly and run along their 
side. To break a horse of this habit nothing is so effectual as 
a secundo bit, which, though quite severe, is much used with 
horses that refuse. 

Running" Horse. The thoroughbred race horse. The 
exterior conformation of the running horse may be summed 
up in these words : He should have a high chest and long 
members ; a short body and strong loins ; the neck, shoulder, 
croup, thigh, buttock, leg and forearm should be long, without 
being too heavy in the upper part ; the members strong, clean, 
free from blemishes ; he should have wide and thick articula- 
tions, closed in the superior angles, open in the inferior; a 
deep chest, abdomen slightly full; fine skin, hair, mane and 
tail ; an animated and expressive physiognomy ; he should be 
graceful, nimble, elegant, excitable, energetic, impetuous, and 
of great endurance. 

Running' Races. [Eng.] During twenty years coming 
down to about 1890, the average time of the English Derby at 
Epsom, has been 2m. 48sec.; the Grand National at Liverpool, 
has been for the same time, 10m. 13sec. The Derby is one and 
one-half miles ; the Grand National is four and one-half miles. 
At Epsom one mile has been run in Im. 52 sec. ; at Liverpool in 
2m. 16sec. The Derby horses carried an average of eighty 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 217 

pounds ; the Liverpool horses carried nearly eleven stone — one 
hundred and fifty-four pounds. On the Liverpool course there 
are about thirty jumps of formidable size, the going on the turf 
is worse than at Epsom and there are some ploughed fields to 
be crossed. 

Running", Remarkable. In October, 1741, at the 
Curragh meeting in Ireland, Mr. Wilde engaged to ride 127 
miles in nine hours. He performed it in six hours and twenty- 
one minutes. He employed ten horses and, allowing for mount- 
ing and dismounting, and a moment for refreshment, he rode 
for six hours at the rate of twenty miles an hour. Mt. Thorn- 
dike, in 1745, rode from Stilton to London, and back again to 
Stilton, 213 miles, in eleven hours and thirty-four minutes, 
which is, after allowing the least possible time for changing 
horses, twenty miles an hour on the turnpike road and uneven 
ground. Mr. Shaftoe, in 1762, with ten horses, and five of 
them ridden twice, accomplished fifty and one-fourth miles, in 
one hour and forty-nine minutes. In 1763, he won a more 
extraordinary match. He was to procure a person to ride one 
hundred miles a day, on any horse each day for twenty-nine 
days together, and to have any number of horses not exceding 
twenty-nine. He accomplished it on fourteen horses ; and on 
one day rode one hundred and sixty miles, on account of the 
tiring of his first horse. Mr. Hull's Quibbler, however, afforded 
one of the most remarkable instances on record, of the speed of 
the race horse. In December, 1786, he ran twenty-three miles 
round the flat at Newmarket in fifty-seven minutes, ten seconds. 

Running" Rules. By the rules of the Turf Congress a 
horse when in the hands of the starter shall receive no further 
care from his attendants. He must be started by the jockey. 
With the consent of the starter a horse can be led to his posi- 
tion, but must then be let loose. The horses are started by a 
flag, and there is no start until, and no recall after the assist- 
ant starter drops his flag in answer to the flag of the starter. 

Running". World's record to close of 1893. It is notice- 
able that in races on the running turf the time record has been 
lowered but slightly in recent years and that only in short 
races ; the long distance races having been changed but little 
as but few long races have been run. The fastest one-half 
mile up to 1880, was 0:47f ; it was reduced by Geraldine, four- 
year-old, carrying 122 pounds, at Morris Park, (straight course), 
August 30, 1889, to 0:46. In 1880, the fastest five furlongs 
was 1:02|; reduced in 1889 by Britannia to 0:59 ; reduced by 
Correction, five-year-old, carrying 119 pounds, at Morris Park, 
September 29, 1893, to 0:57. In 1880, three-fourths of a mile, 



218 HAifDEOOK OF THE TURF. 

fastest time was 1:15; reduced by Domino, two-year-old, carry- 
ing 128 pounds, at Morris Park, September 29, 1893, to 1:09, 
The fastest seven furlongs is Bella B's, five-year-old, carrying 
103 pounds, at Monmouth Park, July 8, 1890, (straight course), 
1:23|-. The fastest one mile in 1880 was by Ten Broeck, 
l:39f ; reduced by Salvator, four-year-old, carrying 110 pounds, 
(straight course, against time), at Monmouth Park, August 28, 
1890, to 1:35|-. One mile and twenty ^yards. Maid Marian, 
fom^-year-old, carrying 101 pounds, Washington Park, Chicago, 
July 19, 1893, 1:40. One mile and seventy yards, Wildwood, 
four-year-old, carrying 115 pounds, Washington Park, Chicago, 
July 5, 1893 ; and Faraday, four-year-old, carrying 102 pounds, 
Washington Park, Chicago, July 21, 1893, each 1:44. In 1880 
the best time for one mile and one-eighth was 1:54 ; reduced by 
Tristan, six-year-old, carrying 114 pounds, New York Jockey 
Club, June 2, 1891, to 1:51. One mile and a quarter, Banquet, 
three-year-old, carrying 108 pounds, Monmouth Park, IST. J,. 
(straight course), July 17, 1890, 2:03| ; Salvator, four-years-old, 
carrying 122 pounds, at Sheepshead Bay, X. Y., June 25, 1890, 
and Morello, three-year-old, carrying 117 pounds, Washington 
Park, Chicago, July 22, 1893, each 2:05, on circular courses. 
One mile and five hundred yards, Bend Or, four-year-old, car- 
rying 115 pounds, Saratoga, N. Y., July 25, 1882, 2:10^. One 
mile and five-sixteenths, Sir John, four-year-old, carrying 116 
pounds, Morris Park, N. Y., June 9, 1892, 2:1 li. One mile 
and three-eighths, Versatile, five-year-old, carrying 100 pounds 
Washington Park, Chicago, July 7, 1893, 2:19|. One mile 
and a half. Lamplighter, three-year-old, carrying 109 pounds, 
Monmouth Park, (straight course), August 9, 1892, 2:32f. Of 
the long distance running, Ten Broeck's two miles, LouisviUe, 
Ky., May 29, 1877, 3:27^ and his four miles, Louisville, Sept- 
tember 27, 1876, 7:15f yet stand as the best. 

If the time occupied by a running horse in going a mile be one minute 
and forty seconds, and the length of stride twenty-five feet, (as rep- 
resented by some horses), it would follow that lie must be off the 
ground a full half second at each bound, and according to the law 
of falling bodies, he would, if he moved horizontally, during that 
time, fall a distance of four feet.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. 
Stillman. 

In 1889, Prof. W. H. Brewer of Yale College, published a tabulated analy- 
sis of the records of one tliousand and thirty-seven running horses, 
whose performances extended over a period of nineteen years, hav- 
ing records of one mile in 1 :45 or better, made on ninety-three tracks 
in twenty-eight different States. This table showed that there was 
but one best horse; six within one second of the best; fifty-three 
within two seconds of tlie best; one hundred and ninety-twowithin 
three seconds of the best; four hundred and sixty-six within four 
seconds of the best, and one thousand thirty-six within five and 
one-fotirth seconds of the best, " The results," says Professor 
Brewer, " illustrate in an impressive manner that low records are 
due to the qualities of the breed rather than to any local excellence 
of track, climate, jockeys, or training." 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF, 219 



If we would improve our horses we must lengthen the distances run. 
By means of these short selling races, handicaps and penalties and 
allowances, good horses either cannot enter or are crushed out by 
weight, and bad ones are lett in with featlier weights. What is 
wanted in a race horse is one with speed and endurance which 
enables him to cover a distance of ground with little distress to him- 
self and ill tlie quickest time. — The Horseman. 

Running' Rein. A device used by riders where the 
horse has the habit of carrying his head so high as to cause the 
bit, when drawn upon, to ride up into the corners of the mouth 
instead of bearing against the lower jaw. It is of the width of 
an ordinary bridle-strap and about eight feet long. One end is 
furnished with a buckle at the end of a tongue-strap eighteen 
inches long. Buckle this end through a staple or D-ring on 
the left side^ of the saddle near the pommel. Then pass the 
other end of the rein through a smooth iron ring about two 
inches in diameter, in front of the horse's breast like the ordi- 
nary martingale ; then through an iron ring an inch or more 
in diameter attached to a strap under the horse's chin about 
nine inches from the bit, then back again through the same 
breast-ring and up to the rider's right hand. This gives the 
rider more power to draw the horse's head down to its proper 
position than any other device. When this rein is slack the 
horse has perfect freedorii, but when necessary the least pull 
acts with double force and brings the head at once in the right 
position. 

Running" Rein. One of the greatest scandals in the 
history of the English turf is known as the Running Rein swindle 
in connection with the Derby of 1844. This was a scheme for 
"ringing the changes" by exchanging a three-year-old for an 
English four-year-old called Running Rein, and also for run- 
ning a German bred horse called Leander, a four-year-old. In 
the race Leander fell, broke his leg and was buried the same 
night. The changeling Running Rein won, Orlando being 
second. The secret became known, payment of stakes was 
refused, and an action brought to recover them. At the trial the 
justice adjourned the same for one day in order that the best 
and most important witness, Running Rein himself, could be 
produced. When the trial again came on the horse was not to 
be found, so a verdict went for the defendants and the stakes 
were awarded to Orlando. Some curious people dug up the 
body of Leander to look at his mouth, but found him headless. 

Running Walk. A gait which is a modification of the 
trot. In this gait the head is generally carried higher than in 
the fox-trot or the ordinary walk, and the hind foot takes the 
ground in advance of the diagonal fore foot, which breaks the 
concussion. It is a more showy gait than the fox-trot, and in it 



220 HAi^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

the poise of the horse is such as to give him more of a climb- 
ing action in front. At this gait the sound of the footfalls is 
not unlike that of the ordinary walk quickened, and the feet 
take the ground in the same order. A closer rein is genereJly 
held with this gait than in the fox-trot, and the pace is a faster 
one and may be carried to a three minute gait before the horse 
is forced out of it. 



s 

S. Following the name of a horse, in Chester's Trotting 
and Pacing Record, indicates that the horse went to saddle. 

Saddle. That piece of horse furnishings, which, secured 
to the back of a horse, makes a seat for the rider. The parts of 
the saddle are : Pommel or head — that part which goes over the 
withers. Cantle — the hind part. Seat — that on which the 
rider sits. Tree — the wood and iron framework. Gullet plate 
— the iron arch under the pommel. Points of the tree — the 
wooden continuations of the gullet plate. Bars of the tree — 
the narrow front portions of the wooden side pieces of the tree. 
Bellies of the tree — the broad boards on which the rider sits. 
Waist — the narrowest part of the seat about midway between 
the pommel and cantle. Pannel — the lining which lies 
between the tree and the horse's back. Point pockets — small 
pockets in which the ends of the points of the tree rest. Spring 
bars — which allow the stirrup-leathers to be attached to or 
detached from the saddle. Knee-pads or rolls — placed on the 
flaps to help prevent the rider's knees from going forward. 
Skirts — small flaps that cover the bars on which the stirrup- 
leathers are suspended. Sweat flaps — pieces of leather which 
are placed under the girth straps on each side to prevent the 
sweat working through. Ds — small semicircular metal hoops 
which are attached by chafes, (short leather straps), to the 
front or back of the saddle for strapping on a coat, or small 
traveling case. Staples — somewhat similar in size and shape 
to Ds but which are firmly fixed to the tree. 

Saddle-back ; Cradle-back ; Hollow-back ; Low- 
back. These terms denote a horse having a back lower than 
is generally seen. When such ill formation prevents him from 
carrying a reasonable amount of weight, it is an unsoundness 
for saddle purposes, but not for harness purposes. 

Saddle-blanket. A small and coarse blanket folded 
Tinder a saddle ; used almost exclusively in the Western United 
States, in place of any special saddle-cloth. 

Saddle-clotli. A cloth put under the saddle and extend- 
ing some distance behind it to preserve the rider's clothes from 
becoming soiled from contact with the horse ; and also used to 
save the pommel of the saddle from being soiled by sweat. 

221 



222 HAJs^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Saddle-cloths of felt are most useful when the saddle stufiBng has 
beconae thin, or when the l.orse's back has become sore. Leather 
saddle-cloths chiefly preserve the lining of the saddle; but as a 
rule, a saddle looks better, is lighter, and less liable to give a horse 
a sore back, when well stuffed, than Avhen a saddle-cloth is used. — 
The Practical Horse Keeper, George Fleming, L. L. D., F. R. C. V. S. 

Saddle-g"irth. A band which is passed under a horse's 
belly and secured to the saddle at each end, being fastened by 
buckles. 

Saddler; American Saddler; Gaited Saddler. 

A saddle-gaited horse, having the natural gaits, the walk-trot- 
canter, to perfection. The conformation of the saddler consists 
of a good forehead — a "horse in front of you;" good, servicea- 
ble withers ; a strong, springy back and loin ; quarters of pleasing 
shape ; " set " hocks ; short canons ; having a long, easy stride 
that conveys but little motion and is agreeable to the rider — 
and all these points set off by a flowing tail and mane, and 
controlled by a gentle yet spirited temper, make up the ideal 
saddler. 

St. Leger. The great English race run at Doncaster, 
York. Inaugurated in 1776, but did not receive its present 
name till 1778, in honor of Colonel St. Leger who founded the 
stakes, since which time it has been run annually. The course 
was originally two miles. In 1813 the distance was changed 
to one mile, six furlongs, and one hundred and ninety-three 
yards. In 1826 the distance w^as reduced sixty-one yards, and 
has remained since that date, one mile, six furlongs, and one 
hundred and thirty-two yards. 

Sale. [Law.] Where there is no warranty in the sale of 
a horse, the rule caveat emptor applies, and except there be 
deceit either of fraudulent concealment or fraudulent misrepre- 
sentation, no action lies by the vendee against the vendor upon 
the sale of the animal. 

Salivation. Slobbers. Frequently caused by the irri- 
tation of the bit ; and often by diseases of the teeth, or wounds 
and ulcers of the mouth. In such cases consult a veterinarian. 

Sallenders ; Sellanders ; Sellenders. Epidermal 
structures or eruptions, upon the hind legs of the horse, the 
upper end of which is about four inches below the point of the 
hock or ankle joint. Its posterior margin is nearly straight or 
regularly convex, w^hile its anterior margin is excavated in its 
upper third, being, therefore, more pointed above than below. 
Its natural color is dark slate, bat when much dry epidermis 
gathers on the surface it has a lighter or yellowish appearance. 
Similar to mallenders which appear on the fore legs. See 
Mallenders. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 223 

Salute the Ditch. [Eng.] The ditch at l^ewmarket, 
Eng., was an object of regard with old turfmen. It is sup- 
posed to have been the remains of an ancient Roman fortifica- 
tion, or an entrenchment which divided the Eastern and 
Western Anglican tribes. From the historic associations con- 
nected with it this ditch became an object of regard, and in 
by-gone times it was the custom with all turfmen in passing 
by it to " salute the ditch." 

Salute tlie Judges. At the close of a heat all the 
drivers and jockeys return to the front of the judges' stand and 
salute the judges, receiving in return their recognition, before 
dismounting. While all the rules prescribe that no rider or 
driver shall dismount without the consent of the judges, this 
salutation is a graceful act of mutual recognition. 

Sandals. [Eng.] A plate or bar shoe made to buckle 
upon the foot of the horse, in case of accident by which a shoe 
was thrown, serving as a very good substitute for the lost shoe 
when on the road or in the field. In earlier times it was the 
custom for riders and hunters to carry one or two of these 
sandals in the pocket when starting out for the hunt. 

Sand - crack ; Quarter - crack ; False Quarter. 
Fissures or lesions in the horn of the wall of the foot. Quarter 
cracks on the lateral parts of the wall nearly always affect the 
fore feet. The inside quarter is more liable to the injmy than 
the outside one, because the crust is thinner, and when in motion 
it receives a greater part of the weight of the body. Toe 
cracks are more common in the hind feet. ALL fissures of this 
kind constitute an unsoundness. 

Sandwiched Race. A race, the heats of which are 
sandwiched in between those of another class. Such sand- 
wiching of heats is allowable, but in these cases one race of the 
two must be finished before another can be started. 

Sash. When two horses from the same stable run in a 
race, the jockey riding the secondary horse is distinguished by 
a sash. 

Save the Distance. For a driver to land safely within 
the distance flag when he cannot win, or for any reason does 
not want to win the heat, is to "save his distance"; to save his 
horse from being shut out. 

I drove my mare all this time with a view of simply saving her distance, 
and I noticed that most of the other drivers* were hnstling tlieir 
horses as tliough they were in a hurry.— Life with the Trotters, 
Jolm Splan. 

If you drop so far back in the first quarter or half that you will have to 
drive fast in the last half lo save your distance, you "have not gained 
anything. Get away well with the field and drop back gradually, 



224 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 



say about twenty yards in each quarter, so that you will land safely 
inside the distance flag after going an easy, evenly rated mile well 
within your liorse's capacity at every stride.— Training the Trotting 
Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Saved Him. A term used to denote the act of saving a 
horse from breaking, in a heat. Before breaking, most horses 
give some indication to the driver, either by a pull on the bit, 
an error in gait, or by some other motion that they are to 
break their gait ; and the driver, by understanding his horse, 
can usually tell what these signs mean, and can often, by 
instantly taking advantage of them, save the horse from a 
break. Hence it is a common thing to hear a driver say: 
" He wobbled, but I saved him." 

Scalp ; Scalping". The act of cutting the coronary band 
or quarters, when the horse is at extended speed; although 
some horses scalp when at a slow gait. Generally due to faulty 
conformation, but may be remedied in many cases by proper 
shoeing. 

Scalpers ; Scalping- Boots. Light toe-boots, made of 
thin leather and padded, worn only on the hind feet. They 
are especially needed for use on a liaK-mile track, to prevent 
scalping or cutting of the coronary band, when the horse is on 
the sharp curves. 

Scalping a Track. The act of taking a thin shaving 
off from the surface of the track, either for the purpose of even- 
ing its face, or for removing a slight layer of sand and replac- 
ing with loam or clay, or vice versa. This scalping is done 
with a track planer. 

Scapula. The shoulder-blade, or bladebone. In the 
horse there is practically but one action at the shoulder joint — 
a fore-and-aft hinge motion. The scapula and the leg attached 
to it are not in any way joined to the rest of the skeleton by 
bone, but only by the muscles which pass from one to the 
other. The trunk is, in fact, only slung between the two 
shoulder bones. 

Scars upon the horse from wounds or sores, and all 
unsightly enlargements, from whatever cause, not affecting the 
soundness of the animal, are blemishes. 

School for Trainers, Jockeys and Drivers. It 
has been the hope of many gentlemeu interested in turf mat- 
ters, and who desire to see the business raised to a more intel- 
ligent level based upon special education, and knowing that 
drivers and jockeys come up from stable boys, who, in most 
cases, have but deficient education ; to see established in this 
country a school for the education and fitting of young men 



HAifDBOOK OF THE TURF. 225 

who wish to become trainers, riders and drivers of speed 
horses. The scheme of instruction at such a school has been 
formulated to embrace the following : The theory of breeding 
on scientific principles ; history of the race and trotting horse ; 
the sources from which speed has been derived ; characteristics 
of the different types and families ; results of crossing strains, 
of inbreeding and outcrossing as demonstrated by perform- 
ances ; the handling, feeding and care of colts ; preparation of 
colts to show their greatest flights of speed without injury to 
themselves or to their development ; expedients and appliances 
necessary for colts of different conformation and disposition ; 
the management of horses before, during and after a race ; the 
driving and riding of horses in a race ; the proper judgment of 
pace or gait and how to place the horse in a race so as to give 
him the best chance to bring out his power of speed ; study of 
the rules of racing ; propriety of deportment on the turf. 

Schooling'. The art of teaching a horse ; training, edu- 
cating and developing the trotter, chaser, jumper and racer ; a 
horse in training is said to be " at school." 

Score ; Scoring. A mark or line ; the act of bringing 
a field of horses to the score or starting point, in order for 
them to make a fair start in a heat or race ; getting in position 
and coming down to the judges' stand for the word. The trot- 
ting rules provide that an»y horse in scoring, which unneces- 
sarily delays the race, may, after notice to the driver, be 
started regardless of his position or gait. Xo field is ever 
sent away when any of the horses are running under the wire. 
One of the contending horses, usually the pole horse, is selected 
by which to score or govern the other horses ; and no driver 
must come down for the word in advance of the governing or 
pole horse, nor can any driver hold back from the governing 
or pole horse, without the infliction of severe penalties. 

In raany years of experience we have never seen one of these "incon- 
trollable" horses that could not be taken back when an adequate 
fine was imposed on the driver for improper scoring. — Wallace's 
Monthly. 

There is a great diflferauce in the behavior of the different horses in 
scoring. Some pull and tug on the bit, despite the signal to return, 
carrying their drivers down to the first turn in tlie track before 
they can be stopped; whereas others, old campaigners as a rule, 
will slacken at once wlien they hear tlie bell, stop, and turn around 
of their own accord. — Road, Track, and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 

Ahorse scoring two hundred and twenty yards at each score, in scor- 
ing two times trots one-fourlh of a mile; four times, one-half mile ; 
six times, three-fourths of a mile; eight times, one mile; ten times, 
one and one-fourth miles; twelve times, one and one-half miles; 
fourteen times, one and tliree-fourtlis mile; sixteen times, two 
miles. The pole horse trots thiee feet fr(mi the pole. Allowing 
tliree feet more to his outer wheel, one foot between his outer wheel 
and the inner wheel of the second horse, then three feet to the 
horse, makes seven feet between the pole and second horse, and so 

15 



226 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 



on to the extreme outside horse. The second horse trots forty- 
four feet further in trotting tlie raile than tlie pole liorse ; the tliird 
horse, eighty-eiglit feet; tlie fourtli liorse, one hundred and thirty- 
two feet; the fifth horse, one hundred and seventy-six feet, and a 
horse forty feet from the pole trots two hundred and fifty-one feet 
over the mile. 

Score Board. The sign-board in front of tlie judges' 
stand upon which the positions of the horses and time made, 
is hung out by the judges at the close of each heat. In the 



2:23 

Class. 


A 

4 


B 

2 


c 

5 


D 

1 


E 
3 


F 

7 


G 

6 


H 


I 


J 


K 


Time. 


i'lKST 
HEAT. 


2:23J 



DIAGKAM OF SCORE BOARD. 

accompanying diagram representing the first heat of a race, 
there were seven starters represented by the letters A to G, 
attached to the arm of each driver, respectively. In this heat 
the horse D came in first ; the horse B came in second, and so 
on, as indicated. 

Score Card. A printed card having upon it the names 
of the horses entered in each class, at a race meeting, with 
blanks for the purpose of recording the time made in each 
heat. 

Scratch. A scrub race; a race without conditions*, 
often put in to fill up the time, on a free track, where a class 
did not fill ; a scurry. 

Scratch. To scratch ; to strike a horse's name out of the 
list of runners in a particular race. The rules of the Turf 
Congress provide that if any person offers or receives any 
amount of money for scratching an entry in purse or stake, 
the person so offending shall be ruled off the course. 

Scratches. Grease ; a disease of the heels of the horse, 
and until cured, an unsoundness. See Grease. 

Screw. A common stable term for a used-up horse, or 
one having an ill-shaped or unsound foot ; a plug. 

Seat. That part of the riding saddle on which the rider 
sits. 

Seat. [Eq.] The principles of a correct seat in eques- 
trianism are, that the flat thigh should grip the saddle with 
the lower leg free to give impulse, direction and control to the 
horse ; the body erect and moving in instinctive harmony with 
the horse's motion, and the hands entirely independent of the 
body. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 227 

The seat on horseback is one in which the crotch and hips are as firmly 
attached to the saddle as it is possible for them to be; the legs 
below the knee as free and indei)en(lei)t as possible, and the body 
from the waist iipward, perfectly supple and pliable. Whatever 
movement the horse makes, the hips mnst conform, moving to 
the right or to the left, or tipj^ing backwMitl or forward, as the case 
may be. The legs from the knees downward, must be free to move 
in obedience to the rider's will, the upper part of the trunk keep 
perfect balance and move easily on a llexible spine, accommodat- 
ing itself to every movement. — The Saddle Plorse, 

Seated Slioe. A horse-shoe fitted into a groove or bev- 
eled edge of the crust or wall of the foot ; a Charlier shoe. 

Second Favorite. A horse thought to possess the 
ability of winning second place ; the second choice of the field. 

Second Tlilg"li. A group of small muscles located on 
the outer face of the thigh and below the stifle or knee, and in 
front of the calf. 

Sectional Shoe. A shoe for contracted feet, quarter 
cracks and tender feet. It consists of a plate and overshoe, 
the shoe being adjustable and removable from the plate as 
often as desired, without drawing the nails from the foot. 

Secundo. The name of a very severe English bit used 
for pulling horses ; for those that refuse the jumps ; that run 
out at their fences, or which are at times liable to take charge 
of their riders. 

Selling" Race. A race the conditions of which require 
that the winner must be offered for sale at public auction, 
unless otherwise stipulated. Any horse running in a race "to 
be sold," shall be liable, if the winner, to be claimed for the 
selling price ; and if it is a condition of the race that the win- 
ner is to be sold by auction, the sale takes place immediately 
at the close of the race, one-haK of any surplus over the selling 
price going to the second horse, and the remainder to the asso- 
ciation. In selling races the horse's engagements are included 
in the sale. Any person offering or entering into an agreement 
for a consideration to bid or not to bid on a horse winning a 
selling race, shall be deemed guilty of a fraud and shall be 
ruled off. 

Send-off; Sent ATvay. A start in a race; a good 
send-off is a fine uniform and fair starting of all the horses in 
a heat or race. 

Sensitive Laminse. The thin plates of soft tissue cov- 
ering the anterior surface of the coffin bone. They number 
from five to six hundred, extend parallel to each other, and by 
fitting into corresponding grooves on the inner surface of the 
horn of the wall, the union of the soft and horny tissues of the 
hoof is rendered complete and perfect. 



228 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF, 

Sent to Stable. A horse sent to the stable is a horse 
that is ruled out by the judges. A horse may be sent to the 
stable for any misdemeanor, foul driving, or fraud of any kind. 
In heats of one, two, three or four miles, a horse not winning 
one heat in three cannot start in a fourth ; and in heats best 
three in five, a horse not winning one in five cannot start in 
a sixth — unless such horse, in either case, shall have made a 
dead heat. 

Sesamoids ; Sesamoid Bones. Bones developed in 
tendons where they play over joints. In each foot of the 
horse there are three ; a pair of nodular form, placed side by 
side over the metacarpo-phalangeal articulation, or behind the 
fetlock joint ; and a single, large, transversely extended one, 
called the navicular bone. The sesamoid bones of the hind 
and fore feet are exactly alike. 

Set Back. When an offending horse is placed behind 
other horses of the field for breaking, running or foul driving, 
he is said to have been "set back," or punished. 

Settles to his Work. AVlien a horse trots low, or 

hugs the track, he is said to " settle to his work." 

This technical expression is intended to represent tlie idea that when 
the liorse is speeding the centers of motion are nearer tlie ground, 
in order that tlie mnscles sliould act to the best advantage, and 
tliat in propulsion the act shall be most direct and longer sus- 
tained; or, in other words, the poiaits of action and reaction are in 
a line forming a more acute angle with the ground.— The Horse in 
Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Shaft. A thill; one of a pair between which a horse is 
harnessed to a sulky or buggy ; the pole, or tongue of a car- 
riage used with a span of horses. 

Shaft-holder; Shaft-rest. A device for supporting 
the ends of the shafts projecting in front of the horse's breast. 
Leather sockets are made to fit the ends of the shafts, and a 
strap on each side of the horse's neck extends therefrom to 
the strap supporting the breastplate over the neck ; so that a 
part of the weight of the shafts is borne by the shoulders, 
instead of the entire weight being borne from the back. 

Shag-trot. [Eng.] Jog-trot: a slow trotting gait. 

The shag-trot is practiced on the way home by every huntsman, every 
whip, and every hunting man, after a long day, if lie has any con- 
sideration for his horse.— The Book of the Horse, Samiiel Sidney. 

Shake Him Off. To come away from a contending 
horse. "He came up to my wheel but I shook him off," 
means that the horse of which it is said did not have speed 
enough to go past his leader, or pace-maker. 

Shank. That part of the hind leg of the horse above 
the fetlock and below the hock, corresponding to the canon of 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEP. 229 

the fore leg. It generally, however, is somewhat longer than 
the canon, jflatter and measui-es greater in circumference. It 
should be flat and deep from the front backwards, the skin 
lying close to the bone and tendon. 

Shifting" Gait. A horse that changes from a trot to a 
pace, and from a pace to a trot, is said to be of " shifting gait." 
A fast trotter will make a fast pacer, and vice versa. 

Shirt. [Eng.] To put one's shirt on a horse, is to lose 

all one's money on a horse. 

"Now the word sliirt," said tlie teacher, "is a common noun, and 
means an uiideigaiuient for men." "And for horses, sir," put in a 
sharp youngster. ■• For horses ! " roared the teacher, " what do you 
mean ?" " Father says he is going to put his on Friar's Balsam for 
tlie Derby, sir." There was trouble in that chiss.— Bird o' Freedom. 

Shoe ; Shoeing". A horse shoe ; a protective support 
to the horse's foot; a plate, or rim of metal, generally iron, 
nailed to the horse's hoof to protect it from injury; the art, or 
business of shoeing horses; farriery. There can be little 
doubt that the first shoes were of leather, attached to the feet 
with thongs, as were sandals to the human foot, and from the 
use of leather, or socks made of rushes, the transition to metal 
was very natural. It is believed that horseshoes were orig- 
inated by the Romans and came into use in Caesar's time, as 
Catullus, a Roman who was contemporary with Caesar, speaks 
of them. In the East there was no necessity for an artificial 
protection to the hoof, as, from the dryness of the soil and 
even temperature, the hoofs became firm and tough. During 
the period of the Crusades, when knight-errantry was at its 
zenith, the horses were heavy and carried great weights. 
They wore shoes which were fastened with clamps, so they 
could be easily detached. Some writers have asserted that 
horseshoeing was not practiced in England until the time of 
William the Conqueror, in 1066; but, on the other hand, it 
has been shown from illuminated ]MSS. that the custom was 
practiced by the Anglo Saxons as early as A.D. 600, and there 
is a statement in history that horseshoes were found at 
Tourney, in the tomb of Childeric, the Prankish king, which 
refer us to the date of 480 A.D. There is historic evidence 
that iron shoes were nailed to the hoofs of war horses in the 
ninth century. In general form and manner of attachment 
horseshoes have undergone very little change during hundreds 
of years ; it is in the evolution of shoes for trotting horses, 
witLin the years 1869-1893, that the greatest change has been 
noticeable. In 1869 American Girl, 2:19, carried shoes weigh- 
ing eighteen to twenty ounces in front, and fourteen or fifteen 
ounces behind. Goldsmith Maid, 2:14, iu 1874, carried a sev- 



230 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

enteen ounce bar shoe. Smuggler, 2:15|-, 1874-1876, wore, 
at one time, two-pound shoes on each front foot; and it is 
said that the little mare Lula, 2:16, 1875, carried a shoe of 
even greater weight. In 1889 the shoes of Axtell, 2:12, 
weighed five ounces in front and three ounces behind. Shoes 
of reasonable weight are those of from eight to twelve ounces, 
although the range of weight in 1893 would be eight ounces 
forward, and from five to six ounces behind, nailed with four 
nails on the outside, and three nails on the inside. Aluminum 
is now much used for horseshoes. It is a metal of silver-white 
color, about as hard as zinc, very malleable and ductile, and 
very light. Horseshoes are made in a great variety of styles ; 
but the old, standard, plain shoe with beveled edges, bar or 
open heel, has always been, and, without doubt, will always 
be, the most in use, and the best suited to the greatest number 
of horses. From the records of the United States patent 
office down to the close of the year 1893, it appears that in 
Class ISTo. 168, sub-class No. 6, Farriery, four hundred and 
thirty-five patents had been granted on horseshoes alone. The 
parts of the shoe are : The toe ; the two heels ; the quarters 
between the toe and the heels ; the calks, or projections from 
the lower part of each heel ; the toe calk ; the clip, a sort of 
claw, usually at the upper edge of the toe, for protecting the 
hoof and assisting in keeping the shoe in place ; the f uUering, 
or crease in the lower face, in which the nail holes are punched ; 
the , bar, which is the entire body of the shoe. The following- 
principles should govern the shape of the shoe and the art of 
shoeing: 1. The foot surface of the shoe should be fiat, so 
that the outer portion of the sole may aid the wall in bearing 
weight; 2, in order that the frog may bear weight, the shoe 
should, generally, be as thin as possible consistent with its 
standing wear and retaining its shape ; 3, the shoe should, as a 
rule, be of uniform thickness at the toes, quarters and heels, 
so that the proper bearing of the foot be not disturbed ; 4, the 
shape of the foot surface should follow the general form of the 
weight-bearing surfaces of the wall and sole ; 5, the heels of 
the shoe, on their foot surface, should be perfectly flat, or 
sloping slightly outward, to prevent the tendency to contract ; 
6, shoes should project slightly beyond the ends of the heels, 
(without risk of the fore-shoe getting caught by the hind-shoe), 
so that the heels of the shoe may rest on the solid pieces of 
horn that are found immediately behind the angle formed by 
the wall and bar ; 7, the ground surface of the shoe should be 
beveled, to increase the foothold of the horse, and also to les- 
sen the weight of the metal employed. These are the generally 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 231 

approved principles — ^when it comes to balancing the trotting 
action it is a matter of individuality, for no two horses can be 
shod exactly alike. 

Keep the foot level, and the frog untouched and on the ground.— 

Robert Bonner. 
[Law.] Whenever bar or round shoes are required, even for a tempo- 
rary purpose, the horse is unsouiul; lor no disease is ciu'ed, whetlier 
saudcraclcs, corns, tliruslies, or wliatever else it may be, so long as 
tliese shoes are necessary.— Tlie Law of Horses, M. D. Hanover. 
The unpared sole and frog of tlie healthy foot need no protection on 
any kind of soil. TJie more tlie frog is exposed to wear, the larger 
and sounder it grows, and the better it is for the foot and limb. 
Wliat is required in slioeing is merely protection from undue wear, 
with the least possible interference with, or disturbance to, the 
functions of tlie foot and limb. Not a grain of iron more than is 
absolutely necessary, should be allowed as a protection.— George 
Fleming, LL.D., F. R. C. V. S. 
The ideal shoe, regarded simply as a means to locomotion, is the light- 
est, simplest, smallest piece of metal tliat can be contrived to pro- 
tect the wall of the foot. When it is a question of balancing a trot- 
ter by means of weight in his shoes, another problem is introduced. 
— Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 
The first thing to be decided upon is how little weight you can possibly 
use in the horse's shoe to protect the foot, and, at the same time, 
balance the horse so he will be able to go at his highest rate of 
speed on a trot. What makes it more difficult than anything else 
to give rules to shoe a horse by is the fact that no two horses can 
be sliod alike. All horses are formed differently, gaited differently, 
and have different dispositions.— Life with the Trotters, Jolin 
Splan. 
Shoeing is unnecessary to the horse in his wild, natural state; it is 
artificial aud unnatural, because the domesticated horse is kept in 
an artificial aud unnatural state. It must, therefore, be regarded 
as a necessary evil. But the foot of the horse, unprotected, will 
not stand the battering of turf-training; tlierefore, the prime and 
sole object of shoeing is to afford the wall of the foot protection 
against the terrific concussion of fast trotting on more or less hard 
tracks. * * * i want to enforce the necessity of non-interference 
with the expansion and contraction of the hoof from the quarter to 
the heel, according as the foot bears weight or is relieved of it. As 
a rule, use six nails, three ou either side; but never put a nail back 
of the widest part of the hoof, the quarters, thus leavhig the heels 
tree. The foot should be trimmed so tliat the frog will lightly 
touch the ground, but take little or no weight. In shoeing, the aim 
is to keep the foot elastic, yielding and natural. Be careful with 
the knife, cutting only the horn of the Avail. Leave the frog, the 
sole aud the bars alone. They will care for themselves. Shoeing, 
like everything else, should be looked at from a common-sense 
standpoint. There are no wonderful and unrevealed mysteries 
aooutit. Keeping in view what nature intended, remembering 
that the sole purpose of shoeing is to afford protection, the simpler 
the better, steering clear of quack smiths that know it all and 
recklessly slash and rasp— these are the most important precau- 
tions to be kept in view concerning shoeing.— Training the Trotting 
Horse, Charles Marvin. = =. » & 

Short of Work. It is often said of a good horse when 
he fails to do his best in a race, that he is " short of work "—a 
term which also embraces many apologies for a poor horse; 
although it is no doubt true that being short of work has much 
to do with defeats on the turf. 

The gamest^ horse WiU stop if short of work, and if you do not know 
that he has nad sufficient work, that he is not sick" or sore, how are 



233 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 



you going to know whether he stops from physical causes or from 
true quitting.— Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Shoulder. The withers form the upper boundary of 

the shoulder. The rear border of the shoulder may be taken 

from behind the swell of the muscle which is just below the 

withers to the elbow. 

It is one of the most indispensable conformations in a race horse or 
jumper to have an oblique slioulder. No straight shouldered horse 
could be a successful racer or steeple chaser. A straight shoulder 
means a short stride, and racers with sliort strides are distanced 
and get run off the turf.— The Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. Battersby. 

Shuffling. A word which most appropriately describes 
any gait which is dull, awkward, inelegant ; the motion of a 
lazy, used-up, worthless horse. 

Shut Out. Left behind the distance flag. 

Shut Up. A horse which fails to respond to rider or 
driver, or which refuses his jumps, is said to " shut up." 

Shying". A dangerous and disagreeable characteristic in 
a horse. Often a horse shys at naught, in which case he is 
governed by illusion of sight ; it is frequently due to near- 
sightedness ; to a bad-fitting bridle, or other cause that may 
be remedied. Where it results from nervousness it is a vice ; 
but if it results from disease in the eye, it is an unsoundness. 

Side Check. The check-rein in ordinary use. 

Side-pulling". A very disagreeable habit, due in many 
cases to the presence of painful wolf-teeth ; or, in colts before 
they have a full mouth, to sore and swollen gums on one side 
of the lower jaw, between the incisors and molars ; often due 
to the sharp edges of the grinders coming in contact with the 
cheek. In some instances it is due to the use of too long a 
bit, in which case the bit may need side-washers of leather or 
chamois skin of several degrees of thickness to prevent the bit 
from pulling through the mouth. 

Side-reiner. Said of a horse that is a side-puller ; he 
« side-reins," or drives on one rein. 

Side-weights. Often attached to the outside of the 
hind hoofs to obviate defective or narrow hind action. The 
side-weight is frequently combined in the shoe, the outside bar 
of which is much heavier than that of the inside. 

Side-wheeler. A pacing or racking horse. See Pac- 
ing and SingHe-footing. 

Sight. Any disease which causes obscurity or dimness 
of sight, and prevents a horse from seeing common objects, 
renders him unsound. 

Sinew. Any cord or tendon of the physical structure. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 233 

Sing"le - footing. An irregular pace of a horse in 
motion ; the single-footed rack ; a strictly lateral gait. The 
full revolution is this : The hind foot, on the right side, strikes 
the ground a little before the fore foot strikes it, then with the 
legs of the left side making the same movements, there are 
four strokes in the revolution. 

The single-foot is an irregular pace, rather rare, and distinguished by 
the posterior extremities moving in the order of the fast walk, and 
the anterior ones in that of a slow trot. These mixed paces are 
quite compatible, as they are of the same kind and move in the 
some diagonal order.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

The single-foot is intermediate between a trot and a pace; or in other 
words is such an exaggeration of the fox-trot as to bring it half way 
to the rack ; or vice versa. Each foot appears to move independently 
of association with either of the others, and the same interval of 
time elapses between each footfall. It is a fast gait, generally not 
less than ten miles an hour, Avhieh can be increased to a three- 
minute gait. It afEords the smoothest seat of all the gaits, because 
that portion of the animal which supports the saddle apparently 
glides evenly forward, while each quarter, moving separately, 
causes none of that bounding or jolting that accompanies the trot 
or pace.— Randall's Horse Register. 

Sir Archy. One of the best bred horses ever produced 
in England or America. Bred by Col. John Tayloe, Mt. Aery, 
Virginia. Foaled in 1805. By imported Diomed, by Florizel, 
one of the best sons of old King Herod ; dam, Castianira, by 
Rockingham, son of Highflyer, by Herod. Sir Archy, although 
bred in Virginia, was from imported English sources on both 
sides — Diomed was one of the best racers on the English turf, 
and unquestionably the finest formed horse ever imported into 
this country; Castianira, his dam, was imported when three 
years old, by Colonel Tayloe, in 1799, and ran successfully in 
Virginia. Sir Archy was a blood bay 16 hands high, his shoul- 
ders were unexceptional, very deep in his girth, back short and 
strong, arms and thighs long and muscular, and bone large. 
He was possessed of both speed and bottom, and was not only 
distinguished on the running turf, but also famous as a pro- 
ducer of great horses. He died June 7, 1833, "meriting," 
says Mr. S. D. Bruce, " the sobriquet of the Godolphin Arabian 
of America." 

Sit Down in Front. A term describing the act of 
stopping or pulling in front of a contending horse, for the evi- 
dent purpose of impeding him, or to help, or aid another horse 
in the race. An offense punishable by fine, suspension or 
expulsion. 

Sitfasts; Horny Sloughs. Pieces of dead tissue, or 
small tumors, otherwise known as wartles, generally caused by 
saddle-galls, or by irritating masses of sweat, hair, and dirt 
under the saddle, which would be thrown off but from the fact 
that they are firmly connected with the fibers of the skin 



234 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF, 

beneath. Whenever they become ulcerated, and are in such 
position as to prevent the ordinary use of the harness or saddle, 
they constitute an unsoundness. 

Sixty-mile Race. A famous race made in Deer Lodge 
county, Montana, between a horse owned by Colonel Thornton, 
and a "little short-legged horse called the Lizzard," owned by 
Bailey & Hammond. Run in 1890. Distance sixty miles con- 
tinuous running. The large horse took the lead from the 
start, and held it up to the thirty-second mile, when Lizzard 
commenced to close on him, had everything his own way after 
the thirty-third mile, and won in four hours, forty-five minutes. 

Skeleton. A track wagon of four wheels, the wheels 
being of the high or old style, and also bike style with pneu- 
matic tire. 

On the Beacon and Centreville courses, wagons, in distinction from 
sullcies or matcli-earts, must weigh 250 pounds. — Rules of the New 
York Trotting Club, September, 1841. 

I liave lately seen in a Boston warehouse a skeleton wagon that weighs 
but fifty pounds. Such a vehicle might almost be described as a 
work of art.— Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwin, 1892. 

Skin. The external covering of the horse. It is com- 
posed of two quite distinct sections, each, however, intimately 
connected with the other. The first or inner part is called the 
derm, a layer of interlacing filaments of fibrous tissue to which 
the nerves and blood vessels are copiously distributed ; and the 
second or outer section called the epidermis, non-sensitive, con- 
taining no blood vessels, soft in its deeper or newly -formed 
part, but dry and hard at the exposed surface. The hairs cov- 
ering the skin grow from minute projections, cylindrical in 
form, seated in the outer surface of the derm, the roots of 
which form little follicles or pits. The outer part, or epider- 
mis, is continually being worn away at the surface, but is also 
continually being renew^ed from the inner surface of the derm ; 
or, as is the case with the hairs, thrown off entire. See Coat. 

Skin tlie Lamb. [Eng.] When a non-favorite wins a 
race, bookmakers are said to " skin the lamb," under the sup- 
position that they win all their debts, no person having backed 
the winner. 

Skipping- Break. A break in gait that is not contin- 
uous ; the act of quickly recovering, on the part of the horse, 
at the very instant any change in gait occurs, from whatever 
cause, and at once striking the former gait ; a skip with one 
foot, while the next takes its regular step. 

Skirts. Small flaps that cover the bars on which the 
stirrup leathers are suspended to the saddle. 



HAIS'DBOOK or THE TURF. 235 

Skittish. Said of a horse that shies; is disposed to 
start quickly, and at times to run ; is over - timid ; tricky ; 
deceitful in action. Skittishness is a vice. 

SlCTT ; Slue. The turning of a body upon an axis within 
its own figure ; to swing around ; the outward motion of a sulky 
wheel in going rapidly around the curves of a track. 

Sling". A device in which to suspend a horse in case of 
broken or injured limbs, where it is necessary to take all the 
weight of the body from off the feet. 

Slip-him. A term used to describe the act of giving a 
horse his head ; letting him out ; the opposite from pulled. 

Slow Track. A track is said to be slow when from any 
cause horses cannot make their usual speed upon it ; a heavy 
track. This slowness may result from some peculiarity of con- 
struction, or kind of soil that renders it slow at all times ; or it 
may be temporarily slow, although a good track, from poor 
drainage, and being heavy from rain. 

Slow Trot. A trot in which the undulations are greater 
than in the fast trot, and therefore one very hard for the rider. 
These slow undulations diminish as the speed is increased. 

Smell. The sense of smell in the horse is one which is 
most acutely develoj^ed ; and many good students of the horse 
are of the opinion that this sense has far more to do with his 
general intelligence and ability for education than any special 
endowment of brain power. 

Connoisseurs in horse tlesh prefer plenty of space between the eyes, 
and some even go so far as to say that a broad forehead is indica- 
tive of intelligence ; but as tliis part of the bone does not cover tlie 
brain, (tue seaf. of intelligence,) it is hard to conceive liow its shape 
can control such an important feature in an uninial. When tlie 
space between the eyes is well developed tliat portion of tlie 
interior of tlie head to which the nerve of special sense of smell is 
distributed would naturally be larger in proportion, on that account 
the smelling power of the animal with the broad forehead may be 
increaseil; and if it be true that the horse is capable of judging of 
the quality of things by their odour, we can then explain why the 
horse with the broad forehead and well developed organs of special 
sense of smell, may appear more intelligent than his less fortunate 
neighbor with the narrow one.— E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan 
Agricultural College Experiment Station. 

Snaffle. A bridle having one plain bit, jointed or stiff? 

and one pair of reins, without guards. Its action is to restrain 

the horse by pressure on his tongue, bars of his mouth, (the 

part of his gums which are between the tushes and grinders), 

and the corners of the mouth. It is simple in its operation 

and less apt to confuse the horse than any other bit used. 

The snafiae, in its varioxis sizes and forms is the most useful bit, and 
were I restricted to one pattern that would be .the oue chosen.— 
Horse Portraiture, Joseph Cairn Simpson, 



236 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 



This bit is the same as the bridoon with the exception of the guards. 
It was originally used on the saddle horse, while the bridoon with 
plain rings was always used alone or in common with a carriage 
harness bit, or the curb bit for riding. For the light buggy horse 
and harness, and head stall without blinds, it is a most desirable 
bit. It is the king of hunting bits.— The Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. 
Battersby. 

Snaffle Lay. An old term used to describe the hold or 
clutch of a thief or highwayman who stopped horseback riders 
by laying hold of the horse's bit or snaffle. 

Snip. [Eng.] Information as to the certainty of a horse 
winning a race. 

Soft. Out of condition; wanting in stamina; not fitted 

for a race. 

Many have said that Johnston was a soft horse. Out of condition he is 
about as helpless a horse as can be imagined ; but this is not his 
ease alone. Some of the gamest horses that I ever saw when in 
condition, were the most helpless when out of form.— Life with the 
Trotters, John Splan. 

Soft-hearted. Faint; faint-hearted; wanting in cour- 
age ; the quality characteristic of a quitting horse. 

In Flanders, where the air is humid, and the pastures are moist and 
rank, horses grow large, but they have flat feet, inferior sinews, 
lymphatic temperaments and soft hearts.— Road, Track and Stable, 
H. C. Merwin. 

Sojer-toed. A horse that is a knee-knocker is said to 
be "sojer-toed." 

Sole. That portion of the ground surface of the foot 

included between the wall, bars and frog. Its front and side 

borders, where it comes in contact with the inner surface of the 

toe and quarters of the wall, form nearly two-thirds of a circle. 

Its rear concave border is bounded on each side by the bars, 

and in the middle it is deeply grooved to receive the point of 

the frog. 

The sole binds the frog and wall together. The horn of which it is 
made is very different from that of the wall or frog. It is formed 
of a number of extremely hard and strong horny plates laid one 
above the other, and curved so as to form a sort of dome surround- 
ing both sides and the front of the frog. The sole has another 
object besides connecting the frog and the wall. It is intended to 
defend the sensitive parts of the interior hoof from stones, sharp 
points of rocks, etc. When the sole becomes worn out, it has the 
faculty of reproducing itself in a manner quite distinct from that 
of the wall and the frog. Instead of being rubbed away by friction 
like the former, or throwing off little flaps like the latter, it exfo- 
liates in flakes, a new flake being secreted above before the effete 
one falls below.— Horse and Man, Rev. J. G. Wood. 

Soliped. According to the old classification of Cuvier, a 
family of solid-hoofed animals, including the domestic horse. 

Sons of Horses. An Arabian half-bred horse. 

Explained by the quotation : 

The Bedouins of Arabia, in general, keep their mares, btit sell many of 
their horses, and it is from the horses thus sold, crossed with infer- 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 237 



ior mares, that the animal known in England and in India as an 
Arab, is bred. The Bedouins call these half-breds "the sons of 
horses," and they look upon them as mongrels, or "kadishes." — 
Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 

Sore. Until cured, sores are a cause of unsoundness. 

Sound; Soundness. Free from defect or injury. A 
horse is sound when he is free from hereditary disease, is in the 
possession of his natural and constitutional health, and possesses 
no alteration of structure in any part which impairs, or is 
likely to impair, his natural usefulness. 

Soundness. [Law.] A horse is defined to be sound 
when he is free from hereditary disease, is in the possession of 
his natural and constitutional health, and as much of his bodily 
perfection as is consistent with his natural formation. 

The word "sonnd" means sound; and the only qualification of which 
it is svisceptible arises from the purpose for which the warranty is 
given. If, for instance, a horse is purcliased to be used in a given 
way, the word "sound" means that the animal is useful for that 
purpose; and "unsound" means that he, at the time, is affected 
with something which will have the effect of impeding that use. 
The Avord "sound" does not mean perfect, but means just what it 
expresses, viz.: That the animal is sound and free from disease at 
the time he is warranted. 

The rule of unsoundness is, that if, at the time of the sale, the horse 
has any disease which actually does diminish the natural useful- 
ness of" the animal, so as to make him less capable of work of any 
description, or which in its ordinary progress will diminish the 
natural usefulness of the animal; or if the horse has, either from 
disease or accident undergone any alteration of stnicture, that 
either does at the time, or in its ordinary effects will diminish the 
natural usefulness of the horse, such horse is unsound. 

Soup. A term used to denote any drug, mixture or 

lotion administered to a horse by means of an injecting needle, 

for the purpose of affecting his speed or spirit, either one way 

or another. 

The danger of doping a horse was again illustrated lately at Gloucester, 
when Gray Forest, who had been given the needle, ran away aboitt 
two miles' and had to be withdrawn. Oregon, who had a liberal 
quantity of the soup, was caught Tuesday about a mile from Glouc- 
ester, after he had run away.— The Horseinan. 

Spanner. A small pocket ^Tench for clasping and turn- 
ing a screw^ coupling. Made Avith a projecting end or claw to 
fit into a hole in the cone or coupling in order to give it a hold 
or purchase. Used for adjusting the axle cone of a pneumatic 
sulky wheel. 

Spanisli Walk ; Spanish Trot. High stepping paces 
of the horse. When each fore leg is advanced in its turn 
it is poised for a moment and left more or less straight out, 
and about as high as the elbow, before it is placed upon the 
ground. 

Spavin. Inflammation and ulceration of the small flat 
bones in the lower and inner part of the hock joint, often 



238 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

involving those of the outer side as well. Blood spavin — a 

dilation of the vein which runs over the seats of the bog and 

bone spavins. Bog spavin — An excessive secretion of joint-oil, 

from over exertion, into the cavity of the joint, i3roducing a 

swelling. Bone spavin — A bony swelling which may be more 

to the front, or more backward on the inner side of the hock, 

or it may even show mainly on the outer side ; while in bad 

cases it may extend up to the true hock-joint and even prevent 

its movement. In some cases these are known as high and 

external spavins according to location. 

Spavin. Inflammation and ulceration of the small flat 

termed enlargement on the seat of spavin, the disease being 

determined, and not likely to increase, if the horse goes sound 

he is sound, in common sense. But the courts having decided 

both ways it is best, as in case of curb and other diseases, to 

except spavin in the warranty. See Curb. 

Blood, bog and bone spavin are unsoundness. Bone spavin, is not a 
curable disease.— The Law of Horses, M. D. Hanover. 

Speech. [Eng.] Private information on a horse, and 
what he can do in a race, used in such phrases as ''get the 
speech;" " give the speech." 

Speed. Speed may be defined as comparative rapidity, 
whether fast or slow ; the rate of motion ; haste in progression ; 
to advance towards a goal. Interesting tables compiled from 
accurate sources are given. The evolution of the fast individ- 
ual trotter is thus shown by the records — 

In 1806, Yankee, trotted in, 2 :50 ; one mile. 

" 1810, the Boston horse, 2:48V2; " 

«' 1834. Edwin Forest, (under saddle), 2:31V2; " 

" 1844, Lady Suffolk, (under saddle). 2:261/2; " 

" 1859, Flora Temple, 2:19% ; " 

" 1867. Dexter, 2:rAA; " 

" 1879. St. Julien, 2:1234 ; " 

" 1885, Maud S., 2 :0834 ; " 

" 1893, Directum, 2 :05i4 ; " 

The table of average extreme speed from 1820 to 1890, in 
the United States, is thus given ; the distance being one mile : 

1820 to 1830, 2:42 

18S0tol840, 2:351/4 

1840 to 1850, 2:281/2 

1850 to 1860, 2:25 

1860 to 1870, 2:183^ 

1870 to 1880, 2 :14 

1880 to 1890, 2:1014 

A horse in trotting a mile in three minutes, covers a dis- 
tance of 29 ft. 3 in. and 15-16 of an inch in one second of time ; 
at a 2:30 gait, 35 ft. 2 in. and 4-16 of an inch is covered in 
every second; at a 2:20 gait, 37 ft. 9 in. and 1-16 of an inch 
is covered; at a 2:10 gait, 40 ft. 7 in. and 8-16 of an inch is 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 239 

covered; at a 2:08 gait, 41 ft. 3 in. is covered; at a 2:04f gait 
42 ft. 3 in., and 14-16 of an inch is covered, and at a 2:00 gait, 
44 feet is covered. 

Emphasize the possession of speed certainly, but do not let ns lose 
slgiit of the tact that speed without brains is not worth trying to 
produce.— Wallace's Monthly. 

We liave no more riglit to conclude that no horse w^ill ever beat Nancy 
Hanks' mark of 2:04, tlian we had to conclude that Goldsmitli Maid's 
record of 2:14 would never be broken.— Kentucky Stock Farm. 

The record of 18t)3 is surpassingly brilliant, and every page evidences 
tiie progress of the trotting breed toward that time wlien it will be 
as purely a breed and a type as is the thoroughbred to-day, and 
wlien 2:00 trotters will be no more rare than thoroughbreds that 
can run in 1 :40.— The Horseman. 

If speed is desired we must look for those mechanical conformations 
of parts that determine speed, but speed is always at the expense 
of power. The anterior limbs must conform in their mechanical 
force to the posterior, and vice versa. In the posterior limbs, long, 
full propellers, low liip joint set well back, so as to afford room for 
long femur and tibia, give great length of limb when extended, 
enabling it to support tne weight of the body and exert its propul- 
sion for a long time; at the same time the power is more directly 
applied when the head of the bone is lower down. So far as these 
principles can be applied to the anterior limbs they hold true of 
them as of the posterior extremities. All animals 'distinguished 
for great speed have the angles of the bones most inclined to one 
another; but while this mechanical arrangement gives great advan- 
tage for speed it is a source of weakness in bearing burdens or haul- 
ing. * * * The speed of the horse depends upon the length and 
thickness of the locomotive mtiscles, the angles and lengths of the 
bony levers on which they act, the freedom of their articular liga- 
ments, the correlation of all the mechanical parts, and much also 
on the nervous energy or will transmitted to the muscles, techni- 
cally know as courage.— The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Speedaway ; Speedway. A straight trotting or run- 
ning course. 

Speed Cart. Road cart ; combined speeding and road 
cart ; sulkyette. They are built much like a sulky, although 
generally heavier, and are used for speeding and road purposes. 
They have cordm'oy and cane seats, adjustable foot rests, seat 
trays in which to carry small parcels ; and are liked by gentle- 
men for ordinary road use. Breaking carts are built extra 
strong, and have shafts three feet longer than those on a road 
cart or sulky. 

Speedy Cut. An injury to the inside of the fore leg, a 
little below the knee, or carpus, at or near the point of contact 
of that joint with the canon ; inflicted by the foot of the oppo- 
site side during speed. The result of faulty conformation. If 
the horse is sound at the time when sold, lameness resulting 
from it, immediately afterwards, is not a breach of warranty 
of soundness. 

Speedy Cutters. Those horses of high action, which, 
from interfering in consequence of faulty shape, cut the fore 
leg from the knee down, are called " speedy cutters." 



240 HANDBOOK OF THE TX7KF. 

Spin. A spirited dash ; a single effort at high speed ; to 
" take a spin," is to give the horse a short exercise at a fast gait. 

Splint. An inflammation of the shank-bone resulting in 
small bony swellings. When existing at the time of sale, and 
the cause of future lameness, a splint is a breach of warranty 
of soundness. 

Splinter-bar. [Eng.] The cross-bar of a carriage to 
which the whipple-tree is attached. 

Spoke. One of the standards of wood or steel which 
support the rim or felloe of a sulky wheel, from the hub or 
nave. 

Sponge-out. The act of giving the horse's mouth a 
bath, or washing, by means of a sponge and cold water. The 
rules allow helpers to sponge out a horse not oftener than once 
in five times scoring. 

Sport of King's. Racing has been termed, by all the 
old writers on the history of the English turf, " the sport of 
kings " ; and most of the sovereigns from the earliest times to 
the ascension of Queen Victoria, have been patrons of the turf. 
Edward II., (1307-1327), was particularly fond of horses. 
Edward III., (1327-1377), bought "running horses" at the 
price of £160 of the money of the present day. Henry VIII., 
(1509-1547), devoted a great deal of attention to improving the 
breed of horses, and obliged all orders of men to keep a certain 
number of horses in proportion to their rank and circumstances. 
Edward VI., (1547-1553), was the first sovereign to make the 
stealing of horses a capital offence. James I., (1603-1625), 
was a great lover of horses, was the originator of regulations 
relating to horse racing, and, indeed, has been called the 
" father of the English turf." Puring his reign the former 
crude methods of racing, without system, with no description 
oi the horse being given, gave place to more scientific, accurate, 
and satisfactory trials. The horses were prepared for run- 
ning by the discipline of food, physic, airing, sweating and 
clothing ; the weights to be carried and the weights of riders 
were adjusted ; the courses were measured, and flat racing was 
introduced. He built great stables at Newmarket, near the 
palace, which were afterwards rebuilt by Charles II., and in 
the middle of this century by the Rothschilds. Henry, Prince 
of Wales, son of James, cultivated horsemanship with great 
industry and satisfaction. Charles II., (1660-1685), at the res- 
toration, honored the Newmarket races with his presence, and 
established there a mansion for his own use. He was an able 
and experienced rider, and a competitor at the races, entering 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 241 

the horses in his own name. William III., (1689-1702), added 
to the racing plates given in different places in the kingdom, 
and established a riding school. Queen Anne, (1702-1711), 
continued the bounty of her predecessors, and added several 
plates. In 1712 her horses ran for the royal plates in her own 
name, the last race by any of her horses having taken place July 
80, 1711. Her consort, George, Prince of Denmark, took great 
delight in racing. It was during Anne's reign that the Darley 
Arabian was brought into England. About 1727, races were 
held in one hundred and twelve towns and cities in England, 
and five in Wales. George L, (1714-1727), and George II., 
(1727-1760), were great patrons of the turf ; but the royal stud 
was sold on the ascension of Queen Victoria, October 25, 1837, 
for £16,476. 

Spot the Favorite. To name the winner in a race. 

Sprains. A forcible stretching of the muscles or fibrous 
tissues beyond their natural length ; in extreme cases accom- 
panied by rupture of the parts. Slight sprains are generally 
healed by rest; but until cured they are an unsoundness, 
whether in slight or severe cases. 

Spreaders. Devices for controlling or changing the gait ; 
widening the hind action ; preventing striking or interfering ; 
forming a steady, open gait ; stopping hitching and forging. 
There are several patterns — some of which are attached to the 
sulky shafts, others being in the simpler form of boots. 

Spreaders ; Expanders. Used for expanding the hoof, 
in case of contractions, quarter crack and corns. They are 
made in different forms. 

I am not in favor of artificial spreaders of any kind. I believe the frog 
to be the best spreader in the world. — Artistic Horseshoeing, 
George E. Rich. 

Spring a Curb, To. It is said of a horse which injures 

or sprains the perforatus tendon which plays over the front of 

the hock, that he has " sprung a curb." It is an unsoundness. 

When a horse springs a curb with me, I first get the inflammation down 
in the nsual way and then iodine it severely. I tlien let him np in 
his work, but jog him to keep liim in as good condition as possible. 
I have generally found curbs to yield to this treatment. A curb is 
the least objectionable form of unsoundness. — Training the Trotting 
Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Spring Bars. Those parts of the saddle which allow 
the stirrup-leathers to be attached to, or detached from, the 
saddle. 

Sprint ; Sprinter. A burst of high speed for a short 
distance ; a horse capable of only a short stay at great speed ; 
a quarter horse. 

16 



242 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Spur. A pointed instrument worn on the heel by a 
horseman or rider, for the purpose of punishing the horse. 
The earliest medieval spurs were devoid of rowels, but had a 
single point ; another form was that of a ball from which 
a short point projected called the ball and spike spur. The 
rowel was first introduced in the thirteenth century, although 
it was not common till the beginning of the fourteenth cen- 
tury. When a horse does not respond to the legs, or when he 
refuses to approach an object he does not like, it may be nec- 
essary to use the spur ; but their use requires prudence, tact, 
good judgment and adaptability to the mental and physical 
character of the horse, for there is as much difference in the 
sensibility of the horse's flanks, as in that of the mouth. When 
the pressure of the legs becomes insufficient to completely col- 
lect the forces of the horse, the spur must be used — not vio- 
lently, but with kindness, delicacy, and good management. 
The use of electrical spurs is prohibited by the rules of the 
Turf Congress. 

Yon may ride us 
With one soft Iciss, a thousand furlongs, ere 
With spurs we beat an acre. 

— Herniioue, in Shakespeare's Winter's Tale. 

Spur. A small, metallic projection screwed to the toe of 
the hoof, to which a toe-weight is attached by means of a 
groove which fits the spur on the foot, holding it securely in 
place. 

Spurs. Horny structures concealed in the tuft or lock 
of hair growing from the fetlock. See Ergot. 

Spurt. A forced pace in a race, generally made on the 
homestretch or at the finish in an effort to win ; a dash of 
speed ; a sprint. 

Square Gaited. Pure gaited ; a pure trotter. The pure, 

square-gaited trotter is perfectly balanced, and goes without 

jerking or hitching, every movement being smooth and true, 

like the revolution of a perfectly balanced wheel. 

One can, with a little practice, jndjre whether a horse driven by 
another is trottin.u- square by listening to the foot-falls. The soinid. 
of a fast, well balanced trotter's stei)s mark time as regularly as 
the swinging of a pendulum. Time is beaten, one, two, three, four; 
one, two, three, four — smoothly and accurately with the intervals 
strictly regular. Develo]iment ceases at tliat point where truly 
balanced and regular action Is transformed into the jerky, hitch- 
ing, irregular way of "getting there" that we so often see. — Train- 
ing the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Stake. A race open to all complying with its published 

conditions, for which the prize is the total of the subscriptions, 

or entrance fees paid by the nominators, to which is generally 

added a specified sum by the association or track under whose 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 243 

auspices the stake is given ; all of which belongs to the winner 
or winners, unless provided to the contrary in the conditions. 
Stakes are of different sums, for horses of different ages, and 
are usually named for prominent turf patrons, individuals, 
places, etc. 

Stakeholder. A person chosen to hold the stakes, or 
amount of the match, in a match race, which must be deposited 
one day before the race is to come off, omitting Sunday, when 
the race becomes "play or pay." 

Stakey G-ait. A stiff, imperfect, constrained action of 
the fore legs ; faulty knee action ; such a horse is said to have 
a " stakey gait." 

Stall. A room, or box ; standing place for horses. The 
dimensions of stalls vary, but the generaUy recognized best 
sizes are : For a single stall, five feet wide, nine feet long ; 
for a box, or room, fifteen feet by seventeen feet ; or, better, if 
the size of the stable will allow it, eighteen feet by twenty feet. 

Stall off a Rush. To head off, or prevent a spurt of 
speed from an opposing horse, at the finish, by which he 
attempts to win ; to leave a contending horse behind ; to shake 
him off. 

It is a dangerous, and often a fatal mistake for a jockey to ease his 
horse, or to cease riding him, when leading and close to the win- 
ning-post; for by so doing he may make him stop, and may then 
be nnable to get him into his stride again in time to "stall off a 
rush" from one of the others.— Riding, M. Horace Hayes, M. R. C. 
V. S. 

Ormonde's last race was characterized by a great exhibition of game- 
ness. Tlie race was at Ascot, the distance over a mile, the finish 
up hill, and the company two of the best horses England has ever 
produced, Mr. Vyner's Minting, and Mr. Barclay's Bendigo. The 

gace was terrific, and the np liill finish particularly trying to 
rmonde, yet he "stalled off" Minting's brilliant challenge, and 
won, after a desperate finish.— The London Sportsman. 

Stallion. The male of the horse kind; an ungelded 
horse ; one kept for breeding purposes. 

Stallion. [Law.] Where a party does not come to an 
inn for entertainment as an ordinary wajrfarer, but with a 
horse to be used, under a special arrangement in serving mares, 
the inn keeper is not bound to receive and treat the person as 
his guest, and is not liable for the destruction of the horse 
without his fault. 

An inn keeper is not bound to permit his establishment to be made a 
depot for the propagation of horses. — American Reports, F. G. 
Thompson, San Francisco, 1877, 244-246. 

Where the party came to an inn imder a special arrangement previ- 
ously made, whereby his stallion was to stand at the inn certain 
days each week for the purpose of serving mares, it has been held 
that the inn keeper was not subject to the common law liability 
for the preservation of the animal.— Cases decided in the Commis- 
sion of Appeals of the State of New York. H. E. Sickles, Albany, 
1876, 34r-39. 



244 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

Stand ; Grand Stand. The principal stand, or pavil- 
ion, from which persons witness the contests of speed at race 
meetings. 

Stand-house. An elevated court of great magnificence 
built by Charles II., of England, at ISTewmarket, about the year 
1367, to enable him to see the races ; and where the royal 
guests were received. 

Standard. A horse is standard when his breeding- 
meets the requirements of the rules controlling admission to 
standard rank. Down to and including volume third of the 
American Trotting Register, (1879), no standard of blood had 
been requisite to admission, the aim having been to ascertain and 
record the facts regarding a pedigree without reference to the 
trotting inheritance. But with volume four, (1882), the pedi- 
grees commenced to be numbered consecutively ; and appeared, 
based upon a standard, the rules of which had the sanction of 
the National Association of Trotting Horse Breeders. These 
rules were formulated in order to define what was meant by a 
standard bred trotting horse, and to establish a breed of trot- 
ters on a more intelligent basis than had then existed. This 
standard was fixed upon a trotting record of 2:30, or better; 
and the original rules were so framed as to embrace and admit 
all animals that were believed to have a suflaciently well-defined 
trotting inheritance to justify the expectation that they would 
transmit the ability to trot. Equality between the sexes was 
purposely ignored from the beginning. A mare was given 
admission by a performance of 2:30 ; but a stallion was obliged 
to have other qualifications besides performance. This greater 
stringency with stallions grew out of the purpose to discourage 
badly bred stallions from being kept for breeding purposes. 
The standard rules now in force, with the changes to go into 
effect January 1, 1895, follow: 

First: Any trotting stallion that has a record of 2:30 or 
better; provided any of his get has a record of 2:35 trotting, 
or better ; or provided his sire or dam is already a standard 
trotting animal. 

Second : Any mare or gelding that has a trotting record 
of 2:30 or better, [whose sire or dam is already a standard 
animal]. The words in brackets will be added and in force 
after January 1, 1895. 

Third: Any horse that is a sire of two trotters with 
records of 2:30 or better. 

Fourth : Any horse that is the sire of one trotter with a 
record of 2:30 or better, provided he has either of the following 
additional qualifications: 1, A trotting record of 2:35 or 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 245 

better; 2, is the sire of two other animals with trotting rec- 
ords of 2:35 ; 3, has a sire or dam that is already a standard 
trotting animal. 

Fifth : Any mare that has produced a trotter with a rec- 
ord of 2:30. 

Sixth : The progeny of a standard trotting horse when 
out of a standard trotting mare. 

Seventh: The female progeny of a standard trotting 
horse when out of a mare by a standard trotting horse. 

[After January 1, 1895, rule seventh, as above, will be 
displaced by the following : Seventh : Any mare whose sire 
is standard and whose first and second dams are by standard 
horses.] 

Eighth : The female progeny of a standard trotting horse 
out of a mare whose dam is a standard trotting mare. 

Ninth: Any mare that has a trotting record of 2:35 or 
better whose sire or dam is a standard trotting animal. 

[After January 1, 1895, rules eighth and ninth, as above, 
will be abolished.] 

Standard Bred. A horse is standard bred when the 
produce of a standard trotting mare, by a standard trotting 
horse. The distinction of the terms "standard" and "stand- 
ard bred" grows out of the manner in which animals become 
standard. Blue Bull became standard by the performance of 
his progeny, and not in virtue of his inheritance, hence he was 
not " standard bred." A mare comes into the standard by 
virtue of her performance in 2:30 or better, and nothing known 
of her pedigree, hence it cannot be said she was standard bred. 
But the progeny of Blue Bull out of this mare would be 
" standard bred " as soon as it was foaled, as both sire and 
dam were standard. 

Standard by Inheritance. A term used in the same 
sense as standard bred ; or a colt of a standard horse out of a 
mare that is standard. 

Standard by Performance. A phrase denoting that 
the horse to which it applies has a trotting record of 2:30 or 
better, and is therefore entitled to standard registry by virtue 
of his own performance. 

The best example of developed trotters is the case of such sons and 

daughters of non-slandard parents that, by training: derelopment, 
become themselves standard by performance.— Wallace's Monthly. 

Standing in the Stirrups. Standing in the saddle. 

At the start, in running races, the jockey sits down in the 
saddle, but as soon as the horse has got into his stride he 
should stand in the stirrups. This attitude is assumed in 



246 HAI^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

order to enable the rider to conform to the movements of the 
horse in the best possible manner. The body should be 
slightly bent forward, free from all stiffness, and the position 
such that the points of the shoulder, knee and toe should be in 
the same vertical line, the whole attitude characterized by 
grace and ease. But the Jockey should always sit down at the 
finish. 

Standing- Jump. [Eq.] In a standing leap the horse 
steadily raises himself on his hind feet, more or less perpendic- 
ularly, according to the height and extent of the object to be 
passed over. Having balanced himself a moment, he com- 
mences his spring by very forcibly extending the previously 
contracted angles of his hind limbs, which action propels the 
body upward and forward, but more particularly to receive it 
in its descent, during which change of position the hinder 
limbs, which had been gathered up to keep them from inter- 
fering with the obstacle passed over, are now let down to 
receive the hind quarters. 

Standing Martingale. When the standing martin- 
gale is attached to a properly fitted noseband, it restrains the 
horse from getting his head too high, makes the action of 
either snaffle or curb-bit more effective, and checks the inclina- 
tion of a fresh horse to bounce or bolt. It should be so fitted 
as to hang loose until the moment that the horse attempts to 
take any improper liberty, when the pressure of the noseband 
over the sensitive junction of the bone and gristle will give 
him a hint to be quiet. 

Staples. Metallic pieces somewhat similar in size and 
shape to Ds, which are firmly fixed to the tree of a saddle. 

Star. A chief performer , a term applied to the champion 
of the turf for the year ; as the saying of John Splan, " Guy was 
the star performer of the year." 

Star-gazer. A term used to denote a horse that holds 

or keeps his head highly elevated, with the nose thrown out, 

when in motion. 

A star-gazer with an ewe neck, or a borer that can only go with his 
nose close to the ground, is totally unfit for military purposes. — 
Seats and Saddles, Francis Dwyer. 

Starring. Campaigning. 

This starring system which has been so fashionable for a term of years 
has, witliout doubt, been a source of great injiary to the trotting 
tnrf, not alone by making fast time the only attraction to draw 
people to tlie course, bvxt inaugairating the hippodroming evil that 
has done far more injury. The large purses advertised meant 
only a division of the gate money; and people Avho had been 
Induced to visit the arena, expecting to see a true struggle for the 
thousands of dollars said to be at stake, went away dissatisfied 
when the transparency of the humbug was made apparent.— Horse 
Portraiture, (1868), Joseph Cairn Simpson. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 247 

Starter; Starting- Judg-e. The person who has 
control of the horses and drivers in a trotting race, (under the 
association rules and with the approval of the judges), from 
the first score in every heat until the word "go" is given ; and 
in all cases the starting judge is the only person authorized to 
give the word. There are some advantages in having the 
starting judge occupy a stand by himself on the opposite side 
of the track from that of the timing judges ; and where the 
plan has been tried, as it has in a few instances, it has given 
full satisfaction. In general it may be said in such cases that 
the attention of the starter is more completely given to the 
field, and that errors and mistakes in sending away, or giving 
the word, are not so liable to occm- as where the mind of the 
starter is liable to be diverted from his business by the con- 
fusion or inadvertent remarks often made in the judges' stand 
at the moment of a send off. In all running races the starter 
has absolute control of horses and jockeys with power to fine or 
suspend jockeys, appoint assistants, and give such orders and 
take such measures as will secure to all a fair start. When the 
horses receive the word, or are sent off by drum or flag, there is 
no recall. In general, the use of the drum in starting running 
races has been abandoned, the flag being now chiefly used. 
The starter has a box of his own just against the inside fence, 
and although he often goes upon the course to give corrections 
or admonitions, he invariably starts from his box or near it. 
Running races are never started by word. 

The st.arter should be honest, and incapable of being swayed by fear, 
favor or prejudice; be cool in temperament; prompt in action; 
have a quick eye, and be a good judpe of pace. He must be tlicr- 
oughly conversant with the rules and their application, and "liew 
to the line" in their administration. His moral character and per- 
sonal habits must be above reproach — the first in order to inspire 
confidence; the second to enable him to perform, his arduous duties 
acceptably. 

Starters. The horses starting in a race. 

Station. The position of the horse when at rest, or in 
the attitude of standing almost motionless and touching the 
ground with his fom' feet, his head at ease, his whole body 
passive. 

Stay ; Stayer. The quality of endurance ; bottom ; 
possessed of courage ; a horse that does not readily give in 
through weakness or lack of vitality and energy ; one not dis- 
couraged. When two horses are equal in a race, the one that 
has the better position at the end of the race is the horse of 
gTeatest power. Hence a horse that has not won a heat cannot 
be equal to one that has won a heat. A horse that is second 
four times in a race is not as good as one that is first once, and 



248 HAi^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

third three times. If the race is concluded in four heats, and 
two horses have each second place in two heats, the one that is 
second in the last heat is the better of the two. 

Stay a Distance. Ability of the horse to stay a dis- 
tance, depends, (the horse being in good health and condition), 
upon, 1, The breathing power being good, or, in other words, 
the capacity of lung expansion being perfect ; 2, the muscles 
working to advantage ; 3, the entire conformation being of the 
required kind, and 4, the action of the limbs well balanced. 

Steadiness in a trotting liorse is as nmcli a virtue to be cultivated as 
speed. The liorse that sticks to his vs^ork, under any system, has 
the advantage over the flighty, headstrong performer.— Kentucky 
Stock Farm. 

S. t. b. These letters given in a pedigree mean that 
the horse to which they refer is "said to be" by a given horse, 
or out of a given dam. 

Steeplecliasin^. A contest over a given number of 
miles of "fair hunting country" — generally understood as mean- 
ing a section of country having pastures, plowed fields, hedges 
of different sorts, with and without ditches, posts and rails, 
open brooks and other obstacles, for the purpose of testing the 
best and speediest horse. Originated in Ireland in 1752. It 
is said the term arose from a party of fox-hunters on their 
return from an unsuccessful chase, who agreed to race to the 
village church, the steeple of which was in sight ; he who first 
touched the church with his whip to be the winner. This 
account of its origin appears very probable. But the first 
steeplechase of which there is any accurate mention was in 
1752, which was run over four and a half miles of country from 
the church of Buttevant to the spire of St. Leger church. It 
was not, however, till 1803 that the first regular steeplechase 
took place in Ireland, the "added money" to a race that year 
being "a hogshead of claret, a pipe of port and a quarter-cask 
of rum." This value was that they proved the excellence of 
the animal and tested the horsemanship of the rider. The old 
system was dangerous in the extreme and turf annals record 
many serious accidents resulting therefrom. In 1820 it was a 
favorite amusement with young fox-hunters, and men ventured 
large sums on the ability of their horses to cross a countrj^ 
The meets in Ireland at that time were held for three days, 
during which the distance ran was four miles with six five-foot 
walls to take for the first day ; on the second day the walls 
were reduced six inches, and on the third day six four-foot 
walls formed the course. In France in 1834, the start was 
"down the Rabit Mount, a short but steep declivity full of 
holes, after which several ugly places were crossed, including a 



HAls'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 249 

river and swampy meadows." It is no wonder that such a race 
was not popular, as only the finish could be witnessed by spec- 
tators. In 1836 the Liverpool steeplechase was run near Ain- 
tree, "twice round a two mile course" ; a great recommendation 
being that nearly the whole performance could be seen from 
the grand stand. In England, the Grand National Hunt Com- 
mittee, which has been several times reorganized, and is now 
known as the "Huntsman's Grand oSTational," was formed in 
1866. Its rules now have the same authority over steeplechas- 
ing, that the Jockey Club rules, (which had refused to take any 
cognizance of disputes connected with steeplechasing and hur- 
dle racing), does over the races on the runnmg turf, and they 
are as rigidly enforced. In this country when steeplechases 
are run, they are, so far as may be, governed by the general 
rules of the American Turf Congress. In addition the special 
rules require that no steeplechase shall be of" less distance than 
one mile ; that no horse shall carry less than one hundred and 
twenty pounds ; that horses running on the wrong side of a 
post or flag, (the limits of the com-se being flagged out or indi- 
cated by posts), and not turning back shall be disqualified; no 
rider can go over one hundred yards on any high road, lane or 
public thorouglif are, without being disqualified ; riders going 
over any place where the ground is not flagged out, are not 
allowed to open any gate or wicket or go through any gateway 
or com.mon passage from one enclosure to another, under pen- 
alty of being disqualified ; no horse can be led over any fence 
by a bystander or any horseman not in the race, under penalty 
of disqualification. Steeplechasing was abolished by the Amer- 
ican Jocky Club in 1888, but such races are run on courses of 
some of the members of the Turf Congress. 

Steeplecliaser. One who rides in steeplechases ; a 
horse running, or trained to run in a cross-country chase. 

Step. The forward or backward movement of one foot; 
often used synonymously with stride. It is understood to 
mean the distance spanned by two feet both resting on the 
gromid. While this distance will vary with muscular energy, 
it is also limited by the anatomical proportions of the animal. 

Stepper. A fast horse ; one of fine action ; as "that 
horse is a good stepper." 

Stiff. This term, means a horse that on public form, or 
in general estimation, should win the race ; and that either the 
jockey, driver, or horse has been so fixed that he will not win. 
The term "bookmaker's stiff," has a similar meaning and 
is played at the expense of the public, and in the interest of 
the bookmakers. 



250 HANDBOOK OE THE TURF. 

Stiff 'un. [Eng.] A horse certain not to run. 

Stifle. The joint of the hind leg of the horse, between 
the hip and the hock, and corresponding to the knee in man. 
It is on a line with the flank, near the abdomen. It is the 
office of the iliacus muscle to guard the abdomen from the 
injury to which it would be liable from the blows the stifle joint 
might give it, in its extreme and violent flexions ; and when 
this muscle performs its work well it gives the fine "stifle 
action" so much admired. 

Stifle Shoe. A special form of shoe exposing a curved 
surface to the ground, used in treating a stifled horse. It is 
placed upon the sound foot, with the effect of causing the horse 
to throw its weight on the weak joint, and thus strengthen it 
by use. 

Stirrup. The support for the foot of a person mounted 
on horseback, attached to the saddle by means of an adjustable 
stirrup-strap ; a metal loop with a corrugated foot-piece to pre- 
vent the foot from slipping. The stirrups of some western 
riding saddles, and also some of those used in the cavalry ser- 
vice have a strong front piece of leather or other material, 
which not only protects the front of the leg, but prevents the 
foot from pressing too far into the loop. Stirrups were 
unknown to the ancients. The Greeks rode bare back, or on a 
saddle consisting of a single pannel of sheepskin, or often of a 
piece of cloth folded several times and thus forming a pillion. 
Gracchus, a noble Roman, who was at the height of his fame 
about 126 B. C, fitted the highways with' stones to enable the 
horsemen to mount. The methods of mounting must have 
been to vault ; to step from a horse-block, or, as Xenophon 
said, "after the Persian manner," that is, to step from the back 
of a slave or captive who bent himself for the purpose. War- 
riors mounted with the aid of the spur. It had a hook upon 
the shaft, and, placed at the side of the horse, assisted the rider 
in mounting. Stirrups were used somewhat in the fifth cen- 
tury, but were not common even in the twelfth. 

The saddle bow, pommel and cantle wei'e invented in Constantinople 
toward the middle of the fourtli century. Even later Mian this the 
stirrup came iuto use, appearing for the first time in the "Treatise 
on the Art of War," written by tlie Emperor Maurice at the end of 
tlie sixth century. These Byzantine innovations spread every- 
where. It is beyond question that the Turks, for example, adopted 
with the saddle'and spurs all the administrative forms of the Lower 
Empire, and many a usage which seems little in accord with their 
primitive genius.— A Phidian Horse: Art and Archseology on the 
Acropolis, From the French of Victor Cherbuliez, translated by Eliz- 
abeth Roberts. 

Stirrup. A metallic loop for holding the foot of the 
driver, fastened on the inside of each thill of the sulky just in 
front of the cross-bar. 



HA»"DBOOK OF THE TURE. 251 

Stocking. White, reaching down to the coronet on the 
leg of a dark colored horse, and which comes up as liigh as the 
knee or hock, is termed a " stocking." When the white mark- 
ing is shorter than this, it is called a sock. 

Stone. [Eng.] The English imperial standard weight 
of fom-teen pomids avou'dupois. The weight carried by horses 
in races is always reckoned as such a number of stone, and so 
many pounds ; as, eight stone, twelve pounds. 

Stonelieng-e. The nom de plume or pen name of John H. 
Walsh, E. R. C. S., known throughout England, Australia and 
America, as a writer on horsemanship and field sports. Born 
in 1810; died February 12, 1888. Edited the London Field 
from 1857 till his death ; and was an industrious and volumi- 
nous writer. With a wide range of knowledge he combined 
thoroughness and accuracy, and his style is smooth and flow- 
ing. His treatise on " The Horse in Stable and Field," is one 
of the best books in the entire range of English and American 
horse literature. 

Stop. To quit in a race. 

Stops. On a bridle, used with reins which have buckles, 
to prevent the martingale rings catching on the buckles. 

Stopping". Packing or filling for the horse's feet. 

Before the horse is put away after work, the feet should be earefnlly 
cleaned aiul washed out, and stopped up with clay. We avoid, in 
all cases, the iise of oils on the hoof, as oil will spoil any hoof, mak- 
ing it brittle. The cooling, cleansing, and Bioistening effect of 
washing is all that is necessary to keep a healthy hoof in good con- 
dition. — Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Strag'g-ling- Start. A poor send off. '< The field got the 
word with many of the horses straggling in the rear." 

Straiglit-away. A straight course ; the long, straight 
stretch of a course, like the three-fourths mile straight, or the 
2,450 feet home stretch of Morris Park, N. Y. On this straight 
the famous horse El Rio Rey ran three-quarters of a mile in 
1:11 ; and on the mile straight-away at ]\Ionmouth Park, IvT. J., 
the mighty Salvator ran the mile August 28, 1890, in 1:35|-. 

Strangles, and bastard or false strangles, are, mitil cured, 
an unsoundness. 

Stretch. One of the two straight sides of a course, as 
distinguished from the turns or ends. 

Stride. The distance from the foot-print of any one leg 
to the foot-print of the same leg, when it comes next to the 
ground ; or it may be described as the action of the limbs while 
that distance is being covered. The average stride of the fast 
gallop, or that of the race-horse at speed is about twenty-four 



252 hakdbook: of the turf. 

feet ; and that of the trotter about seventeen feet. The stride 

of Eclipse was twenty-five feet ; Flying Dutchman and Volti- 

geur, in 1851, struggling head to head opposite York Strand, 

took a stride of twenty-four and a half feet. Martha Wilkes, 

in going a 2:09|- gait, made a stride of eighteen and a half feet. 

Actual measurement of strides shows that the stride is both 

extended and quickened, instead of quickened and shortened, 

when the speed is increased. 

The trotting stride is made up of two supports and two flights. The 
time of botii supporls is alike, and the time of botli flights corre- 
sponds. But tlie time of the supports is not tlie same as tliat of tlie 
tiiglits. With different trotting movements tlieir relative times 
materially change. The dwelling-gaited horse, for instance, unduly 
prolongs and supporls. Just in proportion as the speed increases 
the time of the supports is lessened, and the length of the flights is 
increased. The time of the supports and the tinio of the flights of 
the two pairs of feet nmst necessarily correspond. But the length 
of the stride of the hind feet, with reference to that of the front feet, 
not only changes in the same horse at diflierent rates of trotting 
speed,but also changes decidedly in different horses. * * * In the 
run the stride is divided in lo five parts instead of two, as in the trot, 
each limb taking its turn as supporter and propeller, with a scarcely 
appreciable interval between ; and an interval between tlie last 
fore leg and the first hind one representing a fifth of the whole 
stride. Each limb, tlierefore, works one-filth of each stride and 
rests the other four-fitths. — The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

String. A number of horses; as, the horses from one 
stable ; " a great string " ; the horses from a single stable shown 
at a fair by themselves. 

Stringhalt ; Chorea. The involuntary contractions of 
voluntary muscles, manifested by the sudden jerking up of one 
or both hind legs when the animal is walking. Stringhalt is 
not an unsoundness if the horse works well — it is only a 
defect; but if it results from an inflamed nerve, there is a 
question if it is not then an unsoundness, and in all cases it is 
best to have it excepted in warranty. 

Stud. A collection of horses; as, the royal stud, the 
government breeding stud, a private stud. 

Stud Book. A book containing the pedigrees and 
history of horses. The English Stud Book was established in 
1791, and has been published annually ever since. The 
American Stud Book, (Wallace's,) was first published in 1867 ; 
and (Bruce's,) in 1873. See American Stud Book, Ameri- 
can Trotting Begister and Racing Calendar. 

Stumbler. A horse which is habitually stumbling from 

faulty conformation, or in consequence of a weak, shuflling gait. 

Such a horse should never be used for saddle purposes. 

A nag that puts his toe down first is almost sure to be a stumbler. 
—Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

Stumbling". There are two kinds of stumblers. The 
one lifts his foot, at the walk, without throwing his weight too 



HAITDBOOK OF THE TURF. 253 

much forward at the same time, but he does not bend his knee 
sufficiently, or unduly depresses his toe, when putting the foot 
to the ground. If, at the conclusion of the step, there be an 
in quality on the ground, he will, in all probability, strike it 
and stumble, but generally he will not fall, for the mischance 
will not be sufficient to disturb the equilibrium of the body. 
The other and more dangerous kind of stumbler has generally 
straight shoulders, infirm fore legs, or cramped action. As he 
leans his weight too much forward, he is very liable to catch 
the ground with the toe of his advancing fore leg, a fall being 
the probable result, from the center of gravity of the body 
being well beyond the point of support of the fore legs. While 
a stumbling horse should never be ridden if any other can be 
had, yet if the rider knows a horse is inclined to stumble he 
should always ride him carefully and well up to the saddle so 
that he may get his hind legs well under him. A properly 
adjusted curb bit may be substituted for the snaffle; and in 
some instances peculiar shoeing may help to overcome the 
fault. Where stumbling is occasioned by inflammation of the 
feet arising from tightness of the shoes, or from unequal pressure 
from which cause he is liable to stumble, it is an unsoundness. 

Subscription. A payment to a stake ; an entrance fee. 

Suburban Handicap. A great American race run 
annually at Coney Island, JST. Y. Founded by James G. K. 
Lawrence of New Tork, and first run in 1884. The winners 
have been: 1884, Gen Monroe; 1885, Pontiac; 1886, Trouba- 
dour; 1887, Eurus; 1888, Elkwood; 1889, Raceland ; 1890, 
Salvator; 1891, Loantaka; 1892, Montana; 1893, Lowlander; 
1894, Ramapoo. 

It holds the highest place in the affections and the enthusiasm of 
American turfmen. — New Yorlc Tribune. 

Suffolk Park. A once famous race course established 
at Philadelphia in 1859, by James KeUy. It was opened 
September 8, of that year, with a race between Flora Temple 
and the California mare. Princess. Flora won the first heat in 
2:43, and could have distanced her competitor; but distance 
was waived, and Flora won the third heat in 2:23. George M. 
Patchen, Dexter, May Queen, Goldsmith Maid, American Girl 
and other great ones have trotted over it. It was discontinued 
and cut up into building lots in 1890. 

Sulk. Explained by the quotation : 

You will find there is a grain of sulk in the make-up of many good race 
horses. It requires a good deal of tact and ingenuity to get out of 
such auimals their full measure of speed.— T. J. Dunbar. 

Sulky. The track vehicle used in a race with trotting 

horses; a light carriage fitted for but one person. In 1841, 



254 HANDBOOK OE THE TURF. 

the Spirit of the Times, referring to the rules of the ISTew York 
Trotting Club and the comparative tests of speed and weight 
in harness and under saddle, says : " The same weight has to 
be carried by the driver, exclusive of the weights of his sulky 
or match-cart, as by the same jockey in the saddle. These 
m^atch-carts are of the neatest construction, and weigh gen- 
erally ninety pounds, though they often weigh twenty pounds 
less, and there are one or two which weigh but fifty-three 
pounds!" From that date to 1892, a period of fifty-one years, 
there was little or no change in the general style of the track 
sulky. The main difference was in the use of better materials, 
a higher artistic finish and less weight. Yet fifty-three pounds 
was the exact weight of a Pray standard sulky, with wheels 
four feet seven inches high, weighed and measured by the 
author in September, 1893. But at the commencement of the 
season of 1892, a complete revolution in trotting was ina.ugu- 
rated by the use of the pneumatic wheel, the first experiments 
with which were made with a pair of bicycle wheels attached 
to an ordinary sulky. It was at the Detroit, Mich., meeting 
in July 1892, however, at which the new style sulky was first 
publicly recognized. The race won by Honest George took 
place there on July, 20 and 21, of that year, and this was the 
first race in which the pneumatic sulky was ever used at a 
prominent meeting in this country. Immediately manufac- 
turers commenced to adapt their sulkies to the new require- 
ments, and by the beginning of the season of 1893, pneumatic 
sulkies were in use upon all the leading tracks of the country. 
Builders not only made entirely new patterns but devised 
methods for changing over the high wheel to the bike wheel 
sulky, making stays of different kinds to fit the new wheel to 
the old axle. A great number of experiments took place 
before the pneumatic wheel was fully adjusted to its new uses, 
but these finally proved successful and in cases of entirely new 
or changed-over sulkys they have given the utmost satisfaction 
to owners, trainers and drivers. The high wheel sulky, like 
the stage coach, is a thing of history only. The two great 
advantages of the new sulky are the pneumatic tire and ball 
bearings. The height of the wheels is from twenty-six to 
twenty-eight inches. They are made of both wood and steel 
the tire being attached to the rim of the wheel. There are 
from twenty to twenty-four ball bearings in each wheel, (ten 
or twelve in each end of the hub), being held in the boxes by 
means of a cone-case or recess into which they are fitted. These 
bearings are of different sizes, the usual diameter being one- 
fourth or five-sixteenths of an inch. The weight of the pneu- 



HAK-DBOOK OF THE TURF. 355 

matic sulky is from thirty-eight to fifty-three pounds; the 
weight of a changed-over sulky from fifty-five to fifty-eight 
pounds. There is, however, another advantage in the less 
liability of accident on the track with the bike sulky. The 
air cushion absorbs the jar, and the driver's seat is so far above 
the wheel that he hears less of the vibration hence he can 
drive better having his mind more completely upon his work. 
There is also less risk of accidents occasioned by wheels lock- 
ing, hub punching and spoke splitting. The low wheels are 
guarded upon the outside by the forks, thus reducing the 
possibility of accident to the mininmm. 

The exact inftueiice of the bicycle sulky In bringing about the reduc- 
tion of the pacing and trotting records has not yet been, and 
probably never will be, properly determined. That it has had some 
influence no one will deny ; but that it has accelerated the speed of 
the record-breakers by four or five seconds is not Avithin the bounds 
of reason. * * * if any large concession must be made to holders 
of records to the old-style sulky, Johnston nuist be considered the 
king-pill pacer of the "annals of the American turf, and Maud S. 
the trotting queen. The bicycle sttlky does its most perfect work 
on this, (Fleetwood), track of winding turns, sharp angles with 
ascending and descending grades and makes it take rank with the 
average regulation mile course.— The Horseman, December 7, 1893. 

Sulky Case. A case made of canvas for the purpose of 

protecting a sulky when being transported on campaigns. A 

set consists of three pieces, one for each wheel, and one for the 

gear, each in the shape of sacks fitted to the parts they are to 

receive, buckled tightly, thus protecting them from dust and 

also from being marred. 

Sulkyette. A close-hitch speeding cart ; a combination 
road cart and jogging sulky, adapted for track work and run- 
about business. 

Suiiiiiiary. A summary of a race should give the place 
and track upon which it took place ; the date ; the purse for 
which it was made ; the conditions as to harness, wagon or 
saddle ; the number of heats ; the names, color and sex of the 
horses competing ; the name of the sire of the horse, (and the 
dam if she is a winner of one or more heats) ; names of owners 
and drivers ; positions of the horses, and time made. The 
names of pacers should be in italics. An entire horse should 
be entered as a horse, not as a stallion ; and described in the 
summary as ''b. h." The letters "b. s." should not be used. 

Summary Against Time. Where a horse is started 
to beat his record it is called trotting against time. When the 
summary is published, if the horse lowers his record, his name 
and time are given first; if he does not beat his record they 
are given last. Thus : 



256 HANDBOOK OF THE T17EF. 



SUMMARY. 

Stockton, Cal., October 13, 1891, Palo Alto started to 
beat his record of 2:12|. 

Time, 1 

Palo Alto, 2 

Time: 2:12f. 

Supervisors. Officers appointed by the National Trot- 
ting Association to visit any meeting held on any track in its 
membership, to learn if the rules are properly observed, and 
take the time of horses in any heat or race, which facts may 
be received in evidence in any case pending. 

Suppleness. [Eq.] The perfect harmony of all the 
forces of the horse when in obedience to the will of the rider. 

Surcingle. A girth for a horse ; a girth separate from 
a saddle or harness, passing around the body of the horse, 
retaining in place a blanket or saddle-cloth. 

Suspension. Period of suspension ; the time during 
which the horse is completely off the ground at any particular 
pace in motion, or when jumping. 

Suspension. A penalty imposed. This penalty may 
be imposed upon a member, horse, owner or driver, having the 
force of disqualification during the time it is in operation, and 
making a conditional withholding of all their rights and 
privileges. It may be imposed for non-payment of dues, fines 
or entrance fees; giving a false pedigree or record of a 
horse ; false statement of name or residence ; refusing to give 
information ; meddling with or disguising a horse ; wrongfully 
entering in a class ; for false protest ; refusing to ride or drive ; 
helping; any breach of decorum; foul driving, or other 
just cause. Suspension is usually limited to the season in 
which the order was issued, unless more explicitly stated in 
the order. 

Suspensory Lig-ament. A very strong band or cord 
of nonelastic fibrous tissue, lying between the canon bone and 
the back tendon; ' me of the most wonderful contrivances,'* 
says Prof. Stillman, "in the whole locomotive machinery of 
the horse." Its obvious mechanical use is to prevent over- 
extension of the fetlock-joint ; and if this cord is ruptured or 
stretched the animal becomes what is termed " broken down," 
that is, the fetlock-joint sinks down, and the hoof has a 
tendency to tilt forwards and upwards. 

Though a ligrvment only, with its action beyond the control of 
tlie will, it is no less an active organ whose function is indispens- 
able to locomotion. The perfect equilibrium between the strength 
of tiie ligament and the force it is required to resist is of the 



HAJyTDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 257 

utmost importance. If it yields too miicli, the fetlock is liable to 
strike the ground; if it is too rigid and it does not yield enough, 
tliere will be stiffness and a hobbling gait.— The Horse in Motion, 
J. D. B. Stillnian. 

ST\"allow tlie Bridle. A horse having too wide a 
mouth and too small a bit is said to "swallow the bridle." 

Sweat Flaps. Pieces of leather which are placed under 
the girth straps of the saddle, on each side, to prevent the 
sweat of the horse from working through. 

Sweat Out; Sweating" Out. An exercise given a 
horse before a race for the purpose of sweating out his throat 
to put him in better condition. Such an exercise is usually 
about three miles at three-quarters speed. 

Sweepstakes, is usually construed as meaning a race 
over all; a free-for-all. By the rules of the Turf Congress it 
m.eans a race publicly declared open to all complying with its 
conditions, to be fulfilled, wholly or in part, subsequent to its 
closing or in handicaps subsequent to the acceptance of weight, 
and in which stakes are to be made for each horse. 

Switched. A veterinary term meaning a glandered 
horse. 

• Switcher. A horse given to a habit of constantly 
switching the tail when in harness. It is a serious fault. 

Syinmetry. Beauty and harmony of exterior conforma- 
tion in regard to size, shape and arrangement of the various 
parts of the body to some particular type of the useful horse. 
It possesses a different standard in that of the race or trotting 
horse from what it is in the Clyde or Hackney, but is present 
alike in each according to its own type. 



17 



Table. The free portion, crown or surface of the teeth 
which becomes worn by friction with the hard substances the 
horse takes as food, and by the constant contact with the teeth 
of the opposite jaw. There are five well defined periods in this 
dental table, as it changes from use in successive years : 1, 
The surface of the teeth forming the dental table is at first flat- 
tened from front to rear ; 2, this table becomes oval ; 3, it 
becomes rounded and its two diameters are nearly equal ; 4, it 
becomes triangular with three borders, one anterior and two 
lateral; 5, the table is flattened from side to side and so 
remains to very old age. 

Tag's. The pendants, usually of copper, in the oval plate 
in the center of the bar of a mouthing bit. They lay upon ^be 
tongue, and by playing with them the attention of the horse 
is diverted, thus rendering him more easily subdued and 
managed. 

Tail Male Line. A term used in a thoroughbred pedi- 
gTee, by which is meant the horses tracing in direct m^ale line 
to Herod on the side of the sire. For instance : Diomed, 
winner of the inauguration Derby in 1780, was by Florizel, 
son of Herod ; young Eclipse winner of the second Derby by 
O'Kelly's Eclipse, etc. 

Take Care of. To. A term expressive of a favor or 

advantage which a driver will give another if he can do so 

fairly ; and also implying a choice for a horse that may be in 

the field. "If I can take care of you, I will," means that if the 

opportunity occurs as between the one spoken to and another, 

the driver will look out and give him the advantage. A judge 

in assigning positions to horses will say to a driver, "Mr. Blank, 

you have the pole"; and the answer may be given, "thank you 

for the favor," when, in fact, it was no favor of the judges, at 

all, the horse got the pole fairly in the drawing. The term is 

not to be taken as expressive of collusion or any understanding 

as between parties in a race. 

The starter again took care of Manzanita in tlie sixth heat, and gave a 
start tliat can only be explained on tlie theory that he M'^as so miich 
tntereit-ed in the |2:reat race tliat he failed to watch the field closely. 
— Trfaning the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

258 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 259 

Take the Field. To stake one's money against the 
favorite, thus backing all the rest against a single horse. 

Taking'-off . The act of leaving the ground in making 
a leap or jump on horseback. 

Talent, The. The ring ; those who have inside infor- 
mation concerning the race, or a certain horse in the field ; the 
knowing ones. The term originated in Australia. 

The talent came down to Rigby to back Charlie B., but went home with 
lean pocket-books. Tlie little gray horse from way-back surprised 
everybody by the way he won the race. — Portland Fress. 
And sinks from view forever, while the talent 
Declare they never saw a sight so gallant. 

—New South Wales paper. 

Tan Gallop. A winter exercise ground for horses, built 
at Waterhall Farm, near Newmarket, Eng., in 1883. Said to 
be the finest ground of its kind in the world. 

Tandem. A word meaning at length ; one after another. 
Two or more horses harnessed and driven one before the other, 
instead of side by side, as in a span, or pair. A fashionable 
turn out. 

Tap the Wire. To obtain surreptitious possession of 
the telegraph and extract the information with which it is 
charged, concerning a race, for fraudulent or unlawful pm^poses. 

Tarpan. The wild horse of Tartary. 

Tarsus. The hock joint. 

Tattersall's. "The high-change of horse flesh." A 
mart for the sale of horses established by Richard Tattersall, 
near Hyde Park Corner, London, in 1766. The lease of the 
site having expired, the new premises at Brompton were erected 
and opened for business, April 10, 1865. The Tattersalls Com- 
panies in America was organized in 1892, for the sale of fine 
horses, with offices at IsTew York ; Cleveland, Ohio ; Lexington, 
Ky., and Chicago, 111. 

Teaming a Race. Driving a race. The expression is 
very often heard among drivers, "I teamed a race," meaning 
that they drove a race ; hence to team, is to drive. 

Teeth. The horse has two sets of teeth : The milk 
teeth which appear at or soon after birth, known as those of 
the first dentition ; and the permanent teeth, or those of the 
second dentition. The teeth are placed in each jaw in such a 
manner that they make the form of an arch^^the convex part 
forward and the open part back toward the throat. The arch 
of each jaw is again classed by veterinarians int^ three sections 
— ^the anterior, or front ; the intermediate, or middle, and the 
lateral, or back. In the first are located the incisors ; in the 



■> 



260 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 

second the tusks, and in the third the molars or grinders. 
The first are used to grasp and cut the food ; the second to 
separate it, and the third to still finer reduce or crush it. On 
each side, directly behind the incisors, is a section of the jaw 
in which are no teeth, known in the lower jaw, as the bar of 
the jaw or mouth ; while back of this are the molar teeth. In 
the adult animal there are in each jaw six incisors, two tush 
teeth and twelve molars, making a total of forty teeth for the 
horse. The tush teeth are generally absent in the mare, her 
total number being thirty-six. These tush teeth do not exist 
in the young animal, but in the place where they will appear 
when the horse becomes older, are sometimes found rudimentary 
teeth with no well-defined shape. Occasionally in both the 
young and adult animal, occur rudimentary premolar teeth 
called wolf teeth, which are four in number, two in each jaw, 
making the total number in such cases, forty-four. See Age 
OF THE Horse. 

Tliese little rudiments of teeth are, when properly understood, of great 
interest. Their diminutive size, irregular form and inconstant 
presence, combined with their history in the extinct horse-like 
animals, show them to be teeth which, for some reason to us at 
present unknown, have become superfluous, have been very grad- 
ually and slowly dispensed with, and are in the stage to which the 
horse has now arrived in its evolution, upon the point of disappear- 
ance. The presence of these so-called wolves' teeth alone is suffi- 
cient, if we had no other proof , to show that the horse is not an 
isolated creation, but one link in a great chain of organic beings. — 
The Horse, William Henry Flower, C. B. 

The natural division of the two periods of age, as indicated by the tem- 
porary and the permanent teeth, is subdivided as follows : 1, The 
period of eruption of the incisors or the first dentition ; 2, the level- 
ing of these teeth and their progressive use; 3, the period of the 
falling out of the deciduous teeth and the appearance of the per- 
manent ones; 4, the leveling of these latter; 5, the successive forms 
which their tables present as the teeth become worn away. * * * 
A thoroughbred with dense bones and hard teeth will wear the lat- 
ter away much more slowly than a coarse-boned, lymphatic, com- 
mon horse with softer substances in the teeth. The character of 
food to which a colt has been accustomed will stimulate or dimin- 
ish the functional activity of the tooth, and, Avhile hard substances 
would naturally wear a tooth faster tlian softer food, yet the ani- 
mal which has been raised on the former will often have harder 
teeth than one which has not had to use them so severely. — Age of 
the Domestic Animals, Rush Shippen Huidekoper, M. D. 

Temp] Those portions of the head, on each side of 

the forehead ^.tween the ear and eye. 

Ten I>-<<)eck. King of the running turf. Foaled on 
the farm of John Harper, Midway, Ky., in 1872. By imported 
Phaeton ; dam, Fanny Hulton, by Lexington. He was a most 
unpromising colt, and at two years of age was a sickly looking 
animal one v, ould hardly have taken as a gift. But at four 
years of age he had developed into a remarkable animal. In 
that year. September 16, 1876, carrying 104 pounds he lowered 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 261 

the record for two miles and five-eighths at Lexington, Ky., to 
4:58^, where it has remained ever since. Ten days after tliis, 
viz : On September 27, 1876, carrying the same weiglit, at 
Churchill Downs, Lexington, Ky., he ran the fastest four miles 
ever known and never equalled or surpassed since — 7:15|. As 
a five-year-old he was even speedier, and in a contest against 
time at Midway, Ky., May 21, 1877, lowered the record for one 
mile to 1:39 1, which stood as the record till 1890 ; and a week 
later. May 29, 1877, at Louisville, Ky., he ran two miles in 
3:27^, carrying 110 pounds, which has never been beaten since. 
His last appearance on the course was at the Louisville, Ky., 
Jockey Club track, July 4, 1878, in a four mile heat race 
against the California mare, MoUie McCarthy, which up to 
that time had been unbeaten. The race was for $10,000 a 
side, and was witnessed by the largest crowd ever seen upon 
the Louisville course. The famous California mare was dis- 
tanced. After this race he was retired from the turf, placed 
in the stud, and was the sire of some of the best runners on 
the turf. He was valued at $100,000. His death occurred at 
the stock farm of T. B. Harper, near Midway, Ky., June 28, 
1887. 

Terrets. Metallic eyes which screw into the saddle-tree 
of a harness through which the reins or driving-lines pass from 
the bit to the hands of the driver. A set embraces two terrets 
and one water-hook, the latter holding the check or bearing 
rein in place. These trimmings for a harness are made in a 
great variety of style and finish. 

The Braid. A whip, or whip-lash. To apply the 
braid is to flog or punish a horse ; to use the whip. 

Tlie Rest Kowhere. A distanced field. A term in 
popular use at race tracks the world over, to denote the 
unplaced horses. Originated from the expression made by 
the famous Colonel O'Kell}-, at Epsom, Eng., May 3, 1769, 
when called upon to place the horses on occasion of the first 
race run by the celebrated horse. Eclipse. "Eclipse first, the 
rest nowhere," was Colonel O'Kelly's vigorous description of 
this remarkable race, hence the term now used. 

Thick Wind. One of the several forms o£ disease 
aifecting the breathing organs of the horse, allied to that of 
roaring, whistling and heaves. In many cases it is the fore- 
runner of broken wdnd, or heaves, and when it proceeds from 
inflammation it is an unsoundness. 

Tliig"li. The thigh of the horse is bordered by the stifle, 
flank, croup, buttock and gaskin, from which it is separated 



262 hakdbooe: of the turf. 

by a horizontal line drawn from the upper end of the straight 
line made by the hamstring, which proceeds towards the thigh 
from the point of the hock. 

Thoroug"lilbred. The natm^al aristocrat of the equine 
race. It means that a horse's pedigree can be traced for gen- 
erations from sires and dams of English pure blood, or from 
Arabs, Barbs, (Barbary States), or Persians, recorded in the 
stud-book. While this is the former well understood definition, 
its meaning has become somewhat modified in recent years. 
It now generally means a horse whose pedigree contains the 
requisite number of crosses to insure freedom from any consid- 
erable contamination of cold blood. One possessing five 
crosses to animals of pure blood, untainted with mongrel 
strains, is regarded a thoroughbred. The difference between 
thoroughbred and standard bred, is that the former is bred to 
run and the latter to trot, — hence the terms running bred and 
trotting bred, frequently used in referring to the two classes. 
Strictly speaking, however, no horse is thoroughbred that does 
not trace, without contaminating blood, to Oriental origin. 
In other words, the horses of the first blood, or such as are 
nearest possible to the Eastern stock, are : Those immediately 
produced from an Arabian or Barb ; any stallion crossed with 
an English mare, which has already been crossed with a Barb 
or Arabian stallion, in the first degree; or that which has 
sprung from two crosses in the same degree. 

The term thoroughbred was originally used exclusively as the name 
by wliich tlie English race-hurse was designated. Tlie thorougli- 
bred horse is peculiarly a British production. * * * The term 
thoroughbred, as applied to horses, is used to designate the run- 
ning horse. * * * A recent cross with an imported Arab or Barb, 
while it does not vitiate the blood nor render an animal ineligible 
as a thoroughbred, is not usually regarded as desirable, from the 
fact that the course of selection Avhich has been practiced by the 
breeders of thoroughbred horses in England and America for the 
last one hundred years, has given us a race that is generally con- 
sidered to be far superior to tlie" Oriental horse of to-day for speed, 
size and stoutness.— Horse Breeding, J. H. Sanders. 

The race-horse, or, rather, the thoroughbred horse, from his symmetry, 
power, graceful action, light, elastic form, si)eed and stamina, is, 
beyond question, the highest type of the equine family. He pos- 
sesses n)ore of tlie beauties of formation tlian any animal which 
approximates to him in size and sliape; he excels all others in the 
intelligent expression of his countenance and shape of his head; 
and in the simplicity, compactness and completeness of his digest- 
ive organs, the great leverage of his hocks and hind quarters, and 
Ihe wonderful mechanism displayed in the construction of his legs 
and feet.— The Thorough bred Horse, S. D. Bruce. 

The advantages of tlioroughbred blood, as they seem to me, are that it 
gives liigiier finish, better quality of bone, better joints and supe- 
rior wind and lung power. I do not base my claims for thorough- 
bred blood on gameness. My belief is that gameness comes, in 
great part, from pure, frictionless action. It is practically a truth 
that speed makes gameness. Some thorouglibreds have more trot- 
ting action ihan others. In selecting a thoroughbred mare to 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 263 



breed to a trotting stallion, we pay great attention to form, action 
and head. Some thoroughbreds are more brainy and level headed 
than others, and from one of these of the right conformation bred 
to a stallion of great brain and action-controlling power, the 
chances of getting a high class trotter are good. I do not claim 
that you can get trotters as uniformly this way as by breeding 
from trotting mares, but you can, with the properly mated sire and 
dam, get horses of high class by this line of breeding horses, of 
great finisli and hard, fine quality. — Training the Trotting Horse, 
Charles Marvin. 

Tlioroug-h-pin. A sprain of the tendons above the 
knee and behind the bone of the forearm ; or of tlie tendon 
which plays over the back of the hock, to tlie inner side of the 
bony process which forms its point. When so large as to ren- 
der it likely that lameness will follow, it has been proven an 
unsoundness. 

Tlii*ee in Five. A race, or purse, the conditions of 
which are that three out of five heats must be won by one 
horse, in order to entitle him to the race and purse, or stake. 

Three-quarter Shoe. A shoe, one side of which is 
shorter than the other ; so that when on the foot, the wall of 
the short side, measuring from the heel, is uncovered for a 
distance of two inches, or a little more. It is used for reliev- 
ing from pressure the parts of the foot near a corn. 

Three-quarter Speed. A gait used by many of the 

best trainers in working the trotting horse previous to a race ; 

the principle being never to work a horse at high speed, or, 

rather, full speed, that being kept in reserve for the actual 

test of the race. 

Budd Doble taught me that a horse could be put in condition with a 
great deal less fast work than I had at that time supposed possible. 
His idea was to give tliem plenty of what we call three-quarter 
speed, with longer work from a mile to a mile-;uid-a-half, and then 
two mile heats. — Life with the Trotters. John Splan. 

Three-ride Business. [Eng.] The crack way of 
rmming over hurdles, in which just three strides are taken 
mechanically between each hurdle. 

Three Straight-aways. A term applied to a race 
won in three straight heats. 

Throat-latch. That part of the crownpiece of the 
bridle which serves to prevent it from slipping over the horse's 
head by passing under his throat. 

Throw a Heat. A term used to express that act of a 
driver or rider, by which a heat is lost at the finish — evidently 
by design ; to pull up and let an opponent dash by one at the 
close of a heat ; to give the heat away when it might have 
been won; to drop anchor. 

Tlirush. An inflammation of the secreting membrane 
of the frog, with foetid discharge from the cleft. Where 



264 HAKDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

it is the result of contraction, as is often the case, it is an 
unsoundness. 

Tilting- Table. An operating table used by veterinary 
surgeons in casting a horse. The animal is placed close to the 
table, as to a wall. His head, body and legs are securely 
strapped to it, and, by means of adjustable levers operated by 
a crank and cogs, the table is brought down to a horizontal 
position, and the horse is lying on his side upon it ready to be 
operated upon. 

Time. This word, as applied to races, is used to indi- 
cate the duration of time which it takes a horse to go a given 
distance, in order to ascertain the greatest speed attainable, or 
the greatest distance which can be passed over in a given time. 
All races in this country are timed by official timers, or judges, 
the time is recorded, and set against the horse making the 
fastest time in a heat or race, the time always being taken 
from the horse first to pass under the wire at the finish. On 
the English turf there is no official record of time made at 
races. To w^hat a degree breeding and training have improved 
the trotting time in this country in seventy years, is shown by 
the following outline table : In 1820, the best mile in harness 
was about 3:00 ; in 1830, the best mile in harness was 2:40 ; 
in 1840, the best time under saddle was by Dutchman, 2:28 ; 
in 1850, the best time under saddle was by Lady Suffolk, 
2:26^ ; in 1860, the best time in harness was by Flora Temple, 
2:19f ; in 1870, the best time in harness was by Dexter, 2:17^ ; 
in 1880, the best time in harness was by Jay-Eye-See, 2:10; 
in 1890, the best time in harness was by Sunol, 2:08^; in 
1893, the best time in harness was by Directum, 2:05^. 

There commonly has to be a conjunction of favorable circumstances, 
in order to enable a horse to make extraordinary time. Therefore, 
when it is found that one wliicli has not made such time, can beat 
those which have, race after race, all of them being apparently in 
good condition, a reasonable presumption is raised that the trotter 
in question will, at no distant day, beat the time at the head of the 
record, as well as tlie horses which made it.— The Trotting Horse of 
America, Hiram Woodruff. 

Timer. A chronograph; a split-second watch used in 
taking the time made by horses in a race. 

Timer. A person appointed as timing judge, to take 
the time made by the horses in each heat. The !N"ational rules 
require that two official timers shall take the time of the horses 
in races; the American rules require three, and the rules of 
the Turf Congress say there shall be "one or more, not to 
exceed three." These officials are appointed by the president 
of the track or association, or they may be appointed by the 
judges. In announcing the time made, it is usual, where there 



ha?s^dbook: of the turf. 265 

is a disagreement in watches, to give the average time taken 
by all of them. 

Time Board. The score board upon which the time of 
the heat and rank of the horses, at the close of each heat, is 
hung out in front of the judges' stand. 

Time Betw^een Heats. The time allowed drivers and 
horses by the trotting rules, between heats, is : Mile heats, 
twenty minutes ; mile heats in a three in five race, twenty-five 
minutes ; two mile heats, thirty minutes ; three mile heats, 
thirty-five minutes ; and if there should be a four mile race, 
forty minutes. The racing rules are: In heats of three- 
fourths of a mile, and of one mile, twenty minutes ; in heats 
of two miles, twenty-five minutes ; in heats of three miles, 
thirty-five minutes, and in heats of four miles, forty minutes. 

Time Not a Bar. By the trotting rules time made 
under the saddle, or on snow or ice, as well as time made when 
two or more horses are harnessed together, shall constitute a 
bar for races of the same character, but shall not be a bar for 
races of a different character ; but time to wagon is a record or 
a bar, as the case may be, in races of every character. 

Time Performance. A measure of speed against time. 
The trotting rules and rules of the Trotting Register Associa- 
tion require that a performance against time must be made at 
a regular meeting of a track or society in Xational or Ameri- 
can membership ; strictly in accordance with the trotting rules ; 
not to interfere with, or take place pending the close of another 
race; in the presence of three judges and three timers; the 
meeting must be duly advertised ; the entries properly made, 
and it must not take place earlier than ten o'clock of the day 
set for the performance. Match races are regarded as per- 
formances against time. 

Time Record. In all public races, and in all perform- 
ances against time, the time made in each heat must be accu- 
rately taken and placed in a record which must be signed by 
the judges at the close of the heat, as well as by the timers 
and the clerk of the course. If it should be made to appear 
to the boards of review or appeals, upon investigation, that 
any record had been fraudulently obtained, such time shall 
be regarded a bar, not a record. 

Time, Suppression of. The act of withholding from 
the public the actual time made by a horse in a heat. The 
suppression of time at a public race is regarded and treated 
as a fraud by all the associations ; and such acts are punishable 
by heavy fines and expulsions from the courses within the 
membership of the trotting and racing congresses. 



266 HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 

Tin Cup; Tin-Cupper; Tin Cup Record. A term 
of derision ; a record against time as distinguished from one 
made in a race ; a horse having a record gained at a private 
trial against the watch. About 1885 trials of young horses 
against time, or for some private prize, usually a silver cup or 
piece of plate, became very popular. Such horses were being 
put into the 2:30 by the hundred, starting for no real con- 
sideration, and with little or no guaranty that such time had 
been made by them as was claimed. The matter became an 
abuse, and was the occasion of so much wrong that great 
reproach came to be attached to such records. The American 
Sportsman said: "A horse with a tin cup record cuts no 
figure and is a drug on the market ; and the men who turn out 
any more of them require a guardian." Wallace's Monthly 
said : " If regulations cannot be devised that will secure some 
slight test of a colt's racing qualities in winning his record, 
then we are in favor of wiping out tin cup records, standard 
stakes records, private matches and all that, and of putting 
every youngster on an equality." After long discussion the 
matter was taken in hand by the American, and later by the 
]!^ational Trotting Association, whereby judicious regulations 
were adopted governing all time performances, which are now 
in force by all societies and tracks in membership with either 
association, and which are recognized by the American Trot- 
ting Register Association. See Against Time, and Time 
Performances. 

Time performance according to rule is just as potent as one made in a 
race — both are measures of speed, properly designated. The rules 
now in force by the national associations throw around time per- 
formances the proper restriction desired by all prominent breeders. 
— Tnrf, Field and Farm. 

Tip. Private information or advice on the chances of a 

horse winning. " A straight tip " is information which comes 

direct from an owner or trainer, and which is supposed to be 

trustworthy. 

No matter what paper or tout proclaims, 
Take only the tip from Truthful James; 
He is up to all the dodges and games, 
And money's not wasted by Truthful James. 

—The Sporting Times. 

Tip. A racing tip for the front of a horse's foot ; a half- 
shoe ; a plate extending around the toe from quarter to quarter. 
Youatt, the English authority, in his work on the horse 
published in 1831 said: "Tips are short shoes, reaching only 
half round the foot, and worn while the horse is at grass, in 
order to prevent the crust being torn by the occasional hard- 
ness of the ground, or the pawing of the animal." As re-in- 
vented by Mr. Joseph Cairn Simpson of California, the tip was 



ha:n"dbook of the tukf. 267 

placed on the foot like a shoe, and tapered or feathered to a 
point to keep the hoof as level as possible. Subsequently the 
tip was made of nearly a uniform thickness, having a quarter 
of an inch of metal filed square. A shoulder was cut in the 
wall, and so much of the sole as the width of the web required, 
and all back of the shoulder was left full and rounded with a 
file to protect the edge. 

I have given tips a very fair trial, and have found that at least on our 
gravelly soil they fail to sufaciently protect the feet of horses in 
training. On a solt soil for jut^ging, for a horse not in hard training 
or for a horse with contracted heels, they are excellent, but are 
inadequate protection as a rule, in the wear and tear of constant 
track-work. — Training the Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

As a rule a horse that is short in the pasterns wears away the toes very 
quickly, and such a horse can wear tips successfully. On ilie other 
hand a horse long in the pasterns wears the lieels rapidly and on 
such a horse tips will not prove of service. — Scientific Horseshoeing, 
William Russell. 

I believe if our trotting tracks were not quite so hard there are a great 
many horses that would go better if shod in tips. I have watched 
this matter at every opportunity which presented itself to me, 
have tried tips on a number of horses, and am satisfied that for a 
horse to go well in them the track must be especially prepared.— 
Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Tipster. An informer on a race ; a tout. 

Tipsters are almost all swindlers. — The Badminton Library: Racing, 
The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Tire. The hoop or rim of iron used to bind or hold the 
felloe or fellies of wheels to secure them from wearing or 
breaking — referring particularly to the old style high-wheel 
sulky, or carriage wheel. Sulky tires, formerly invariably of 
iron, are now almost invariably of rubber, hence the tire is not 
used to hold the felloe together, as the felloe is made of steel or 
wood in one continuous section. These rubber tires are made 
in various patterns, all on the pneumatic principle differing 
much in details of construction. Some are formed in a single 
compound tube ; others are made in two parts, having an outer 
and an inner tube, the latter being the air receptacle. ' Some 
tires are laced ; some are ribbed or corrugated, lengthwise, on 
the outer surface ; some formed entirely whole ; some are 
cemented to the felloe, others are attached without cement, so 
as to be easily removed. By a laced tii-e is meant that the 
outer tube or cover is laced in one or more places, very simi- 
larly to the way a shoe is laced ; the cause for this being that 
it leaves an opening by which the inner tube may be removed 
in case of necessity for repairing or replacing the tube. When 
a pneumatic tire has been some time used and has become flat 
or soft, it is said to-be "deflated." See Rubber Tire; Pneu- 
matic Tire. 

To Break the Record. When a. horse makes faster or 
lower time in a class than that which has been made; or 



268 HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 

reduces the record for a certain age, or way of going, below 
where it has stood, is to break or cut the record. 

To Draw Rein. To stop ; to pull up. 

To Give Rein. To let a horse have his head ; to let 
him out at speed. 

To Harness. A race announced to be trotted to harness, 
means that it is to take place to a sulky. 

To Horse. A term meaning that one is mounted; that 
the person is on iiorseback. 

To Lay Over. To surpass; to excel; to have more 
speed ; to lay over him in a race, means that one has a faster 
horse than his opponent. 

To Make the Running. To make the pace at the 
beginning of a race by causing a second-class horse to set oft 
at high speed, with a view of giving a better chance to a stay- 
ing horse. 

To Rein Up. To bring the horse to a halt ; to stop. 

To Ride the Great Horse. An historic phrase used in 
old times in England, signifying to practice horsemanship in 
the fashion of the day. 

To Ride to Hounds. To take part in a fox-hunt ; to 
follow the chase. 

To Take Up the Running-, is to go off at full speed 
from a slower pace ; to take the lead in a race. 

To Wagon. A race announced to be trotted to wagon, 
means to a four-wheeled track skeleton. 

Toe. The front part of the foot, or shoe. 

Toe-out ; Toe=in. Horses that are pigeon toed or splay- 
footed generally toe-out or toe-in. Such are structural defects 
and in most cases are beyond the scope of farriery to remedy. 

Toe-weights. Small metal knobs screwed or otherwise 

attached to the hoofs of the horse's feet. There are various 

patterns, among them: Miles' adjustable stick-fast, toe and 

side ; Fenton's security ; Chicago welded spm^ weight, resting 

on a spur welded to the front of the shoe aiid projecting up in 

front of the toe of the hoof ; side weights ; Mitchell weight ; 

Dot side weight, leather, lead filled; Duplex side weight; 

Pocket weight, made of leather and filled with sheet lead 

admitting- of changes in weight ; Clark's eclipse, toe and side ; 

Boss toe and side, 2, 3, 4 and 6 ounces, attached to the boot or 

scalper; Boston, 2, 3, 4, 6 and 8 ounces. 

The necessity for toe-weights or lieavy shoes lies in some defect of con- 
formation or of gait, aud wlieii a trotter is obliged to carry a heavy 



ha:n-dbook of the tuef. 269 



load in this manner his feet and legs suffer.— Road, Track and Sta- 
ble, H. C. Merwin. 
Continued soundness with toe-weights at a high rate of speed, is a nat- 
ural impossibility. The fastest trotter, for a spurt, that the world 
has produced, has been compelled to wear lue-weights, and after a 
few wonderful dashes, she is a cripple. They may have added 
many to the list of fast trotters, but have added just as many to the 
list of liopeless cripples. In due course of time the toe- weight will 
be remembered only as a cruel appliance to overcome antagonistic 
instincts in the trotter.— Wallace's Monthly, 1881. 

Tongs- Across -a-Wall. [Eq.] A phrase descriptive 
of a seat in riding T\'hich depends for its balance upon the 
stirrup, renouncing all contact of the legs with the horse's 
body. 

Topping- the Wall. [Eng.] An act by which the 
horse strikes the wall with his hind feet to send him with 
renewed effort or spring beyond some object on the opposite 
side that he did not see till partially over ; and to do which he 
had not used sufficient power in his spring when he rose. It 
is an act which is considered evidence of very superior training. 

Toppy. Stylish; showy. A term used to describe the 
general appearance and carriage of a horse, as in the expres- 
sions, " a toppy bay ; " " a pair of toppy grays." 

Tout. A horse watcher ; an agent on the lookout for any 
information or circumstance as to a horse's capabilities or con- 
dition, or anything pertaining to the race. Various training 
quarters are regularly "touted" by men well versed in their 
business, and the information obtained is given to tipsters who 
give it to the public either through the columns of the sporting 
press, or by means of letters and telegrams. 

Touts, Avhen known, shall be debarred the privileges of the race courses 
and grounds. — Rules of the American Turf Congress. 

Touts are thieves who steal stable secrets, either by spying on horses 
in their gallops and trials, or by bribing servants to betray their 
masters, and to betray any important information on horse's how- 
ever acquired.— The Badminton Library : Racing, The Earl of Suf- 
folk and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Trace. One of the two straps belonging to a harness, by 
which a sulky or buggy is drawn by the horse harnessed to it ; 
a tug. 

Track. A race course. Tracks are made straight, oval 
and kite-shaped ; and also in some cases, of other and peculiar 
shape according to the condition of the land upon which they 
are built. The lengths are generally one-half mile, and one 
mile respectively. The land required for a half mile track is 
fourteen acres; for a mile track forty-nine acres, where the 
homestretch is sixty-five feet, and the backstretch forty feet 
wide ; and no track should be narrower than this, many are 
wider. A better width is seventy feet for the homestretch and 



270 HA.NDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

fifty feet for the backstretch ; while some modern built tracks 
are seventy-six feet for the former, and sixty for the latter. A 
half mile track should be as wide as a mile track. The area 
given above does not include land upon which to set buildings 
outside the tra.ck circle, but simply that required for the track 
surface. A natural rather than an artificial soil is the best for 
a track, provided it is of the right kind ; but a soil that is nat- 
urally sandy is not favorable, as it is light and cuppy. If such 
is to be used as the foundation, it must be covered with a dres- 
sing of seven to nine inches of clay loam, in order to make a 
good surface. The best soil for a track is a strong, fertile, 
deep loam ; indeed the richer and tougher the soil the better, 
and if there is some peat or crude vegetable matter in its com- 
position it is better still. A good surface for a track is made of 
blocks of strong loam, twelve inches square, set like paving 
blocks, then thoroughly impacted and dressed. Such a track 
has a springy quality and will retain its elasticity for years. 
If kept in proper condition it will not sore up a horse. It is as 
necessary that the soil of a track be rich, as it is that of a field ; 
then it has life, will not become dead, and will last. It needs 
an occasional dressing of manure plowed into the surface and 
finished off. Next it must have an abundance of water — in fact 
all the soil will retain and not become too soft ; this renders it 
always moist, makes it easy and yielding. It is not a difficult 
matter to lay out a half-mile or mile track — any ordinary sur- 
veyor can do it by following the rules given below ; but to lay 
out a kite track is a more complicated matter, on account of 
the angles and details involved, and such a work requires the 
services of a competent engineer. 

To Lay Out a Half-mile Track. Draw two parallel lines 
six hundred feet long and four hundred and fifty-two feet, five 
inches apart. Half-way between the extreme ends of the two 
parallel lines drive a stake, then loop a wire around the stake 
long enough to reach to either side. Then make a true curve 
with the wire, putting down a stake as often as a fence-post is 
needed. When this operation is finished at both ends of the 
six hundred foot parallel lines the track is laid out. The 
inside fence will rest exactly on the line drawn, but the track 
must measure a half-mile three feet from the fence. The track 
should rise one-fourth inch to the foot from the pole to the out- 
side on straight work. The turns should be thrown up one 
foot and three inches in every ten feet of width, or five feet on 
a forty foot turn. The stretches may be from forty-five to sixty 
feet long, and the throwing up of the turns should be com- 
menced on both stretches for both turns, and worked toward 
the apex of each. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 271 

To Lay Out a Mile Track. Draw a line through an oblong- 
center four hundred and forty yards in length, setting a stake 
at each end. Then draw a line on either side of the first line, 
exactly parallel with and four hundred and seventeen feet and 
two inches from it, setting stakes at either end of them. This 
will give an oblong square four hundred and forty yards long, 
and eight hundred and thirty-foiu^ feet and four inches wide. 
At each end of these three lines set stakes. Is'ext fasten a 
cord or wke four hundred and seventeen feet and two inches 
long, to the center stake of this parallelogram, and then describe 
a half-circle, driving stakes as often as it is necessary to set a 
fence post. When the circle is made at both ends of this par- 
allelogram there will be two straight sides and two circles 
which, measured three feet from the fence, will be exactly one 
mile. The turns should be thrown up one foot in ten feet of 
width, from the pole to the outside, so that a turn forty feet 
wide would, at its highest point, be four feet higher at the out- 
side than at the pole. Tracks should always be built with ref- 
erence to attaining the highest degree of speed. What is 
termed a regulation track, strictly speaking, is one on which 
the stretches and turns are each eighty rods long, (for a mile 
track); and forty rods long, (for a half-mile track). These, 
however, vary — as on some mile tracks the turns are ninety 
rods long, and the stretches seventy rods long; and on some 
half-mile tracks the turns are forty-five, and the stretches 
thirty-five rods long. The judges' stand should be placed 
back one hundred and fifty feet from the commencement of 
the first turn. A track is fast or slow according to its condi- 
tion. "To the texture of the surface and the thoroughness of 
its manipulation, much more than to the shape and grades is 
attributable the wonderful speed records that have been made 
at Terre Haute." When the track becomes loose, first use a 
planer, following with a dressing harrow, finishing with a float ; 
all the time keeping the work back of the teams. To be in 
the best condition tracks must have a true, hard face, finishing 
off with a beautiful, elastic cushion. Other conditions being- 
equal half-mile courses are rated from three to five seconds 
slower than mile courses. The half-mile course is altogether 
the most popular for spectators as they are enabled to keep the 
horses in sight with comparative ease during the entire race. 
In 1893 the National Trotting Association had a membership 
of 558 ; and the American Trotting Association of 806. making 
a total of 1364 tracks in the membership of these associations. 
The national associations have never adopted any special shape 
for a reg-ulation track — all that is necessary is that it must be 



272 HANDBOOK OF THE TUBE. 

exactly one thousand seven hundred and sixty yards in length ; 

whether straight away, kite, oval or ring-shaped. 

The great point in track building is to get a perfect cnsliion— one that 
is smooth, springy and clean, where there is a certain amount of 
yielding when the foot strikes, but yet no softness of surface. The 
aim is to have tlie track smooth yet springy, to have it clean with- 
out being hard, and elastic witliout being clinging. — Training the 
Trotting Horse, Charles Marvin. 

The kite track is considered to be about two seconds faster than the 
ordinary or regulation track, because it consists almost entirely of 
two long stretches; but it is of course very unsatisfactory to i.he 
spectator, who is able to see in any real sense, only the beginning 
and. the finish of the race. It seems unlikely that tliese tracks will 
long be tolerated. — Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwin. 

Track, Covered. The only covered mile track in the 
world is that at the breeding farm of Henry C. Jewett, Jewett- 
ville, (near Buffalo), N. Y. It is completely covered, shingled 
and painted, forming an enclosure 5286 feet long. The build- 
ing is lighted by twenty thousand panes of glass, has a grand 
stand that will seat twenty-five persons, and has electric bells 
at each quarter post. The surface of the track is made in a 
series of small grades the highest of which is thirteen feet in 
one hundred, so that the muscles of the horse are changed six 
times in going one mile. 

Track Decorum. By the trotting rules, improper 
language to officers or judges, or to drivers, owners, trainers, 
riders or attendants ; loud shouting ; making improper use of 
the whip, or other improper conduct is strictly forbidden dur- 
ing the pendency of a heat, and is punishable by fine, suspen- 
sion or expulsion. 

Track Rules. The special rules relating more particu- 
larly to tracks are : That the track shall be measured by a 
competent civil engineer, and its exact length obtained three 
feet from the pole, that is, from the inside fence or ditch, and 
his certificate of measurement, made under oath, shall be 
deposited with the secretary of that national association of 
which the track is a member; that horses called for a race 
have the exclusive right of the course, all other horses being 
obliged to leave the track ; that horses meeting on a track shall 
pass to the left, and that the track must be level. Upon this 
last point the rule of the American Trotting Register Associa- 
tion is, that "the registrar is instructed not to accept for pur- 
poses of registration the record of any animal not made on a 
track where the start and finish are not on the same level." If 
a track is not in membership with the national associations, a 
person winning a premium or purse has no redress for non- 
payment of the same ; but if it is an association track the man- 
agement caa be suspended for non-payment of premiums. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUKF. 273 

Track-sick. A term used to denote that almost inde- 
scribable unwillingness of a horse to respond to his driver when 
in training. It does not always result from being out of con- 
dition, but is more often due to overwork and injudicious 
training, being especially common with young colts. As a rule 
it is advisable to give but very little driving on a cii'cular track 
before the age of three years. 

There can be iiothiiig biit harm come of working a jaded, failing, track- 
sick and spiritless colt.— Training the Trotting Horse, Charles 
Marvin. 

Track-work. Fitting for races. 

Trailing". AYhen a driver is known to be following 

around the com'se during a heat, close to the leading horse, he 

is said to be "trailing." 

In the third heat 1 trailed until we turned into the homestretch, at 
which point I swung the Chief well to the outside, and when I gave 
hira his head the white-faced fellow made short work of the others. 
—Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Trainer; Training". One whose profession it is to 
train and fit horses for track purposes ; the art of fitting a 
horse for races. The trainer was formerly a person who trained 
grooms privately for gentlemen who kept horses, and the jock- 
eys and drivers grew up from lads w^ho lived with them. With 
the vast increase and importance of the turf business within 
the past twenty-five years, the demand has been great for a 
class of persons of peculiar ability and having characteristics 
specially fitting them for the care, training and driving of trot- 
ting and race horses. This demand has developed in America 
some of the most famous drivers the world has ever seen ; and 
in the greatest races horses have been driven by men of con- 
summate genius and ability. While in many cases trainers 
have come up from stable boys having a natural love for horses 
and driving, it is true that the most successful trainers are 
those who are well educated, know something of the anatomy 
of the horse, understand the veterinary art, have a special fond- 
ness for horses, and are good judges of human nature. The 
art of training a horse for the turf is one of the highest in the 
whole animal economy, l^o specific rules can be given for it, 
so much depends upon the breeding, age, constitution and 
peculiar characteristics of the different animals which the 
trainer handles. The general care, feed, shoeing, amount of 
work, rubbing, bandaging, conditioning — all vary with the 
individual, and must become a special study with the trainer 
in each case. Little upon these points can come from books — 
most must be based on repeated experience. 

There is as much difference between training a 2 :10 and a 2 :20 horse, as 
there is between sharpening a razor and an ordinary jack-knife; 

18 



274 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

any boy can sharpen a jack-knife, bnt it takes a barber to keep a 
razor in order.— Life witli the Trotters, John Splan. 
In all that pertains to his craft the trainer must be an expert, stiidying: 
and knowing the constitutions, tempers, defects and capabilities of 
his horses as thougli they were his children. He must be sober and 
vigilant, implicitly trusting no man but himself, yet appearing to 
repose the frankest confidence in his grooms, while he exercises 
the keenest supervision over them.— The Badminton Library: Rac- 
ing, The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Train-on, Clever at training in the line or habit 
desired. To "train on well," is to act kindly under training; 
to improve in speed by training and working. 

Trammel. An ancient as well as modern instrument 
for changing the gait of horses. Gervase Markham, who pub- 
lished his "Cheape and Good Hvsbandry," in 1616, in that 
chapter devoted to the "ordering of the great horse," describes 
trammels as "leathers so fixed that the horse cannot put for- 
ward his fore legge, but he must perforce hale his hinder legge 
after it." Modern trammels are of leather, fitted to the horse's 
legs to regulate his motions, and are often used in teaching a 
horse to amble. 

Trapezium. The real definition of this word is, a quad- 
rilateral — no two sides of which are equal ; but in the descrip- 
tion of the exterior parts of the horse it refers to the prom- 
inence on the posterior surface, or back part of the knee. 

It is true that many horses are cut away under the knee to that extent 
that the leg is weakened, and will ]iot stand constant hard work : 
but we must distinguish between the horse with an unusually well 
developed trapezium bone which forms the prominence, and the 
one which is illy formed by being too much cut away under the 
joint.— E. A. A. Grange, V. S., Michigan State College Experiment 
Station. 

Traps ; Trappings. An outfit for a track horse ; boots, 
bandages, clothing and necessary stable equipments. 

Trappy. A short, rapid, snappy, high-stepping gait is 
said to be a " trappy " gait. 

Trappiness. [Eng.] A term applied to any hedge, 
fence or obstacle which is dangerous to take or pass, from a 
part of it being concealed, like a brook or ditch on the opposite 
side of a fence or hedge, not seen in approaching it. "It was 
not the size of this fence," says Mr. Coventry, in Badminton, 
"but its trappiness to which trainers and riders objected." 

Travelling'-gear. A track term denoting the legs, 
muscles and locomotory organs of the horse. Mr. Marvin, in 
describing one of the colts which he trained, says : "Her trav- 
elling-gear was good from the ground up." 

Traversing". [Eq.] The motion by which a saddle 
horse passes to the right and left, alternately, by the bearing 
of the reins or the legs of the rider. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 275 

Tray. An adjustable box, fitted to slip into place under 
the seat of a road cart or sulkyette, for carrying packages, 
removable when not wanted. 

Tread. The face or surface of a pneumatic tire. 

Tread. A tread is said to have taken place, when the 
inside of the coronet of one hind foot is struck by the calk of 
the shoe on the other foot, inflicting a bruised or contused 
wound. 

Tree. The wood and iron framework of the saddle. 

Trey-team. A team of three horses harnessed abreast. 
The world's record for best speed with a trey-team, to the close 
of 1893. is that made by Belle Hamlin, Globe and Justina, at 
Cleveland, Ohio, July 31, 1891, 2:14. 

Trial Record. A term meaning the time made by a 
horse in a private trial. It is one, however, having no signif- 
icance as to the value of a horse, as no trial time is recognized 
by any competent authority. The race record is the only test 
of speed that has any value. 

Trio, The Wonderful. The three horses that have 
exercised the greatest influence upon the race of English thor- 
oughbreds, viz : The Byerly Turk ; the Darley Arabian, and 
the Godolphin Arabian. 

Tripping". A habit, generally the result of bad confor- 
mation, and in such cases cannot be called a vice. If due to ten- 
derness of the foot, old lameness, a groggy gait, or habitual 
carelessness and idleness, it must in such cases accompany a 
horse hardly worth attempting to correct of the fault. 

Trot. A natural gait ; the medium pace. The order of 
movement in the trot is left fore foot, right hind foot, right 
fore foot, left hind foot. Thus the left fore and right hind 
foot move in unison, striking the ground together; then in 
turn the right fore foot and left hind foot complete the revolu- 
tion. Hence the trot is most properly termed the diagonal 
gait. In this gait there are two feet as bases of support 
instead of one — the complete step, therefore, emits two beats. 
The imprints left upon the ground by a horse at trotting speed 
show these characteristics : Sometimes the print of the hind 
foot remains behind that of the fore foot ; sometimes they are 
both made in the exact place ; sometimes the hind one goes in 
advance of that of the front one. Hence these have been 
termed the ordinary, the short and the long trotting step. 
When the velocity of the trot is carried to its extreme limit, 
the hind foot going far beyond the step of the fore foot, the 
stride reaches its highest limit, and this gait is termed the 
broken trot, and the flying trot. 



276 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



The beauties of the trot consist in its regularity, gracefulness, height 
and speed— but it is extremely rare to find all these combined in 
the same horse. Its regularity is indicated by the synchronism of 
the beats and the uniformity ot the step. Its gracefulness consists 
in its lightness, ease and suppleness, as well as in the parallelism 
of the planes of oscillation of the members in their relation to the 
medium plane. Its height is associated with the energy of propul- 
sion and the length of the projection. The speed depends upon the 
length of the projection. The speed depends iipon the length of 
the steps and the frequency of their repetition in a given time. 
* * * All horses do not trot in the same n)anner. There are some 
in which tlie exrension of the whole anterior is carried to such an 
extreme that the contact of the foot with the ground, after a short 
time of arrest, seems almost to be effected upon the heels. The 
movements of the posterior members are equally very extended, 
whence an energetic effort of propulsion, much more action, as we 
are in the habit of saying. Again there are some light trotters 
which emit but faint beats when trotted upon a hard road or pave- 
ment; others on the contrary emit heavy sounds iinder these cir- 
cumstances. Some rock themselves from the fact of very great 
corv:)ulence or a vicious axis of the members. Some raise their legs 
insufficiently from the ground, scrape the floor; others elevate 
them excessively, trot from the knees which is so much loss of 
force. Others again lack harmony between the movements of the 
fore, and those of the hind limbs, or have some anatomical defect 
of certain regions which detracts from the grace and ease of the 
gait, and even exposes them to many accidents. Some, in fact, 
even show their shoes from excessive flexion of the pastern upon the 
fetlock.— The Exterior of the Horse, Armand Goubaux and Gustave 
Barrier. 

Trotter. A horse kept for speed ; a trotting bred horse ; 
a fast horse ; the noblest equine product of the modern, highly- 
developed American civilization. The American trotter of 
to-day usually traces to one or more of the following ancestors ; 
Messenger, True Briton and Diomed, all thoroughbreds ; Bell- 
founder, a Norfolk trotter ; Grand Bashaw, a Barb ; Pilot, a 
Canadian pacer ; Blue Bull, an Ohio pacer. In his con- 
formation he should be without blemish, harmonious and well 
constructed in body and limb. If the loins are slightly weak 
and the withers rather low these are not grave defects and may 
be overlooked; but he must have a powerful croup, thighs, 
buttocks, legs and hocks ; also, long neck, shoulders and fore- 
arms; he must not be too horizontal in the croup; the inclina- 
tion of the superior segments of the legs must be normal ; he 
must have width, height and depth of chest ; wide, thick, neat 
and clean joints ; in a word he must possess all the character- 
istics of a beautiful conformation. It is when in motion that 
a trotter can be best judged. By the action, lengthened, hug- 
ging the ground and regular; by the extent and complete 
projection of the fore legs> and by the energetic action of the 
hind legs, he will show to the best advantage his spirit and 
characteristics as a trotter. 

Tlie American trotter is now practically a thoroughbred.— Prof . Robert 

Wallace, University of Edinburgh, Scotland. 
The truth seems to be that great trotters, like great men, inherit from 

their mothers what has aptly been termed the subtle ambition to 

succeed. — Road, Track and Stable, H. C. Merwiu. 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 277 

The uniformity witli which the trotting-bred trotter trots, and trots 
fast, shows how completely the intelligent and scientific breeding 
of tlie past ten or twenty years has tended to eliminate elements of 
uncertainty and to establish a breed wliich is attracting purchasers 
from every country of the known world for our trotters. — The 
Horseman. 

Trotters. There were in the United States, to the close 
of the year 1893, about ten thousand trotters in the 2:30 list; 
one thousand and eight in the 2:20 class; one hundred and 
eighty with records of 2:15 or better; six with records of 2:08 
or better, and one with a record of 2:04. 

Trotting"-bred. A term meaning that the horse so 
bred has a trotting inheritance, not a running inheritance. It 
is a specific, definite term, easily understood, legitimate, 
expressive and appropriate. 

Trotting" Eqiiililbriuin. A perfectly balanced action ; 
the smooth, even gait of the horse when in rapid motion. 

Trotting Families. There are six well defined, repre- 
sentative families of American trotters, viz: 1, Hambletonian ; 
2, Mambrino ; 8, Clay ; 4, Morgan ; 5, Bashaw ; 6, Pilot. 
Hambletonian was by Abdallah by ISIambrino by imported 
Messenger. Mambrino, the greatest son of Messenger, was the 
founder of two of the noblest trotting families in all history, 
Mambrino Chief and Hambletonian, the latter standing at the 
head as the greatest of all trotting prgenitors. Henry Clay 
was by Andrew Jackson, by a son of an imported Barb. 
Justin Morgan was said to have been a son of True Briton, by 
a thoroughbred, Traveller. The Bashaw family is closely 
related to the Clays, having had a common ancestry in Young 
Bashaw, the sire of Andrew Jackson. The originator of the 
Pilot family was a famous black pacing horse. Pilot, from 
Canada, of unknown blood, a horse having great power to 
produce trotters out of running mares. From these sources 
have come a large number of sub-families — some of which are 
very famous and almost entitled to the distinction of being 
called families — which have become widely dispersed, each 
embracing many celebrated individuals. From the first we 
liave the Volunteers, Abdallahs, Almonts, Messenger Dm'ocs, 
Happy Hediums, Electioneers, AYilkeses and Dictators. From 
the second have came the Woodford Mambrinos, Clark Chiefs 
and Mambrino Patchens. From the third we have the George 
M. Patchens, Moors, Sultans and Cassius INI. Clays. From the 
fourth we have the Lamberts, Morrills, Fearnaughts, Ethan 
Aliens, Knoxes and Golddusts. From the fifth have descended 
the Long Island Black Hawks, Andrew Jacksons, Mohawks, 
and Greens Bashaws. From the last we have the well known 
families of pacing origin — the Copperbottoms, Royal Georges, 



278 HAIs^DBOOK OE THE lURF. 

Hiatogas, Blue Bulls, Columbuses and Young Bashaws — which 
cannot be omitted from any list of the original trotting fami- 
lies of America. It is the province of the trotting and pacing 
registers and year books to record the pedigrees and perform- 
ances of the progeny of these famous sires. 

Trotting- for Blood. When a horse is trotting hard 
and square, often against odds, he is said to be "trotting for 
blood ; " to trot on merit. 

The ringer has, in a few instances, by giving up blood money, appar- 
ently escaped, for a time, the vigilance of the legal authorities. — 
Wallace's Monthly. 

Trotting- Instinct. By animal instinct is understood 
the propensity of producing effects which appear to be those of 
reason and knowledge, because they apparently transcend the 
general intelligence or experience of the creature. Hence the 
term trotting instinct is held to mean the instinctive propensity 
of the colt to trot ; the sum of all inherited qualities ; the trot- 
ting bred colt trots because he represents the accumulated trot- 
ting instinct of many former generations of trotters. Tlie term 
was first used in American turf literature in lS:772. 

The sedate brute on the road does not care wlietlier another horse 
passes him or not; he hears a carriage behind him— it does not 
disturb him; he sees it pass him— it does not annoy him. Not so 
with the racer, or the roadster which may share his blood. He 
hears another wagon beliind him— he is immediately interested: 
he sees it turn out to go by— he is more interested— he objects, and 
says, as plainly as horse can say, "No, yon don't!" His ancestors 
have been bred for so many generations to get ahead and keep 
ahead, that it is with him aii instinct, an innate passion born 
with him. an inherited part of his constitution., 1o not only go 
fast, but to go faster than his competitor.— Frof. W. H. Brewer, 
Yale University. 

Trueing- the Gait. The art of training the trotter in 
order to overcome any erratic gait or unbalanced action; to 
teach a horse to trot true and square. 

Trustee. The first horse in America to trot twenty 

miles inside of one hour. " The incomparable Trustee," says 

Henry William Herbert in his "Horse of America." By 

imported Trustee, (imported into the United States in 1835), 

by Catton ; dam, Fanny PuUen, foaled about 1835, bred by 

Sullivan Pullen, Augusta, Maine ; by Winthrop Messenger, by 

imported Messenger. His celebrated race took place over the 

famous old Union Course, L. I., J^T. Y., Friday, October 20, 

1848. In this race he hauled a driver weighing 145 pounds in 

a sulky weighing 150 pounds. Time: 59:35|-. 

The odds at starting were 100 to 40. Tlie word "go" was given so 
vehemently that the horse broke, bnt he caiight his step and never 
broke again throughout the whole performance. In trotting the 
ninth and tentli miles, the horse fell off a few seconds, and many 
persons thouglit that he was tiring; but judges remarked, as he 
passed the stand, that he was going perfectly at ease witli ears 



HAiyDBUOK OF THE TL'RF. 279 



playing. On the fifteenth mile the odds on time declined a little. 

On The seventeenth a hoise was galloped by his side to encourage 
liim; on tlie eighteenth it was even bettiiig; on tlie nineteentli 
fifty to forty was offered on tlie liorse. On coniinenciiig tlie 
twentietli mile liis driver let the liorse out, and lie canie in, appar- 
ently as fresh as when he started, doing his twentieth mile the 
fastest of tlie match in 2 :51i. In his stable an hour after the niatcli 
lie exhibited no distress, and on the following day avus as tine as 
silk. — Horse and Horsemanship of the United Slates, Henry William 
Herbert. 

Truss. A frame composed of two pieces, the top and 
bottom cords of which are connected by means of braces and 
stays, so that it shall be incapable of change by any turning of 
the bars or joints. Hence truss-axle, truss-shaft and truss- 
wheels are certain forms of these parts of the sulky in the 
construction of which the principle of the truss is applied. 

Tug- ; Trace. The leather straps attached to the breast- 
plate, which, connecting with the whippletree, are used for 
drawing the sulky or buggy. 

Turf. This word came into use when horse racing in 
England, in the early days of the sport, literally took place on 
the turf ; that is, on grass fields, sod or turf. But as racing 
became more and more technical they began to have definite 
tracks, or courses, and the word has remained, while the thing 
for which it stood has become obsolete. Hence, in England, 
as in this country, the word turf means racing, although it 
applies more especially to the running races, while the dis- 
tinctive terms — rimning turf and trotting turf — are now gen- 
erally used. 

Turfite. An attendant upon races; one who is an 
authority on tm-f matters; a person familiar with horses, 
tracks, racing, records made, and all sports of the turf. 

Turf Circle. The in-field, or ground within the circle 
of the course ; persons who engage in racing — hence, the " turf 
cii'cle " has the same meaning, applied to horsemen, as the 
term "court circle" or "legal circle" would, applied to the 
members of the legal profession. 

Turf La'W'. A term which includes the enforcement of 
the rules of the trotting and running congresses, and the con- 
sideration of all cases of fine, suspension or exj^ulsion of mem- 
bers, horses or individuals, which may come before the boards 
of appeals or review, for adjudication. 

Turf law, in its best sense, should be rigidly enforced, by dispensing 
equal and exact justice to all, without fear, favor or affection. — 
Kentucky Stock Farm. 

Turning" a Horse. Every horse is said to haA^e a strong 

and a weak side. In turning a horse, restive under the saddle, 

turn him on his weak side. 



280 HAJ^DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Turn-up. A sudden piece of luck. Bookmakers are 
said to have a " turn-up " when an unbacked horse wins. 

Turrets. Circular metallic stays placed on each side of 
the saddle, through which the reins pass. See Terrets. 

Tushes ; Tusks. The four canine teeth of the adult 
horse, corresponding exactly with the tusks of the boar, and 
the great corner teeth of the lion and dog; but in all the 
Equidse they perform a very subordinate office, not being 
required either as a means of defence, or for the purpose of 
seizing prey. There are no temporary tushes in the horse, and 
in the mare they are either entirely absent or in a very rudi- 
mentary form. 

Twenty-milers. Horses that have trotted twenty 
miles within one hour. Only six horses in the United States 
have ever performed this feat, viz: 1. Trustee, ch. g. by 
imported Trustee ; dam, Fanny PuUen, Union Course, Long 
Island, K. Y., October 20, 1848, 59:35f 2. Lady Fulton, 
b. m., breeding unknown, Centreville, Long Island, N. Y., 
July 12, 1855, 59:55. 3. Captain McGowan, ro. h., breeding 
unknown, Boston, Mass., October 31, 1865, 58:25. 4. John 
Stewart, b. g. by Tom Wonder, pacer ; dam, by Llambletonian, 
(Harris'), Oakland, California, April 4, 1868, 59:23. 5. Mattie 
Howard, ch. m., breeding unknown, San Francisco, California, 
December 7, 1871, 59:30i. 6. Controller, b. g., by Gen. Tay- 
lor, by the Morse Horse, San Francisco, California, April 20, 
1878, (to wagon), 58:57. 

Two-forty-eiglit, and one-half. The first recorded 
time of a mile made in less than three minutes, in this country, 
was by the Boston horse, at Philadelphia, Pa., in August, 1870, 
in 2:48i. 

Two-in-three. A race of heats best two in three, in 
which a horse winning two heats, or distancing the field, wins 
the race. 

Two-pluck-one. A term used to describe a jockey's 
or driver's trick, by which one horse may be sent ahead to set 
the pace and tire a contending horse with which he may be 
quite evenly matched, when, at the right time, a third horse 
which has been trailing and is comparatively fresh, is sent 
along to measure strides and take the lead. Thus, in nearly 
every instance, two horses can tire and vanquish a third, even 
though he may have several seconds the advantage in speed 
and endurance. 

Two-ten, (2:10). Twenty-three trotters have trotted in 
2:10, or better, since Maud S. was first to enter the list in 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 281 

1884, when she got a record of 2:09:|-; and since 1883, when 
Johnston was the first to enter the pacing 2:10 list, it has a 
total of thirty-four pacers in 2:10, or better. This is to the 
close of 1893. 

Two Thousand Guineas. An important fixed event 
of the English turf, inaugurated in 1809, and run annually 
since that date. It is the opening three-year-old event of the 
year, and is open to both colts and fillies. Run over the 
Eowley mile at Newmarket, a distance of one mile and eleven 
yards. 

Two-thirty, (2:30). All performances carrying an 
animal into the 2:30 list for the first time, must be made at a 
regular meeting, under control of the executive officers of tracks 
which are members of the National or American trotting asso- 
ciations, where stakes, purses or premiums have been duly 
opened and advertised. " Regular meeting " is a term used as 
opposite to that of a special meeting, called only for the pur- 
pose of giving a horse a record. These regulations apply to 
matches, as well as to all other trotting performances. To the 
close of 1893 ten thousand trotters and two thousand pacers 
held records of 2:30, or better. 

Two-twenty, (2:20). To the close of 1893 the two- 
twenty list contained a total of one thousand and eight animals. 

T. Y. C [Eng.] Letters meaning the two-year-old 

course. It is a short course, not shorter than five-eighths, nor 

longer than three-fourths of a mile. 

As chasers many of tliem that have been looked on as T. Y. C. animals 
stav with ease for tliree miles or more, with a turn of speed for 
the'home run .—The Badminton Library : Racing, The Earl of Suffolk 
and Berkshire, and W. G. Craven. 

Tympany. Acute gastric indigestion, or intestinal colic. 



u 

Under Saddle. A term used to denote a running 
race ; a race in which jockeys ride on horseback. 

XJng-ual Phalanx. The single terminal bone of the 
horse's foot ; the last joint of his toe ; the hoof. 

Union Course. A famous race course on Long Island, 
New York, formed in 1821, and discontinued in 1888. Here, 
in 1823, the celebrated race took place between the great 
Henry, the "pride of the South," and American Eclipse, in 
the presence of fifty thousand people. Henry won the first, 
and Eclipse the second and third heats. In 1842 the New 
Jersey mare. Fashion, beat the Virginia horse, Boston, on this 
course. Dexter's first race was over this course. Many of 
Flora Temple's triumphs were achieved here, and here she 
twice defeated George M. Patchen. Here Ethan Allen ran for 
stallion honors ; here George Wilkes' first victory was achieved, 
and here he defeated Lady Thorne and American Girl. 

Unit. The action of each limb of the horse when in 
motion or in propulsion, is said to be a " unit." 

Unknown. A term used in a pedigree signifying that 
the particular sire or dam to which it refers was of unknown 
breeding; an element of uncertain quality in a horse's pedi- 
gree. Each animal has two parents, four grandparents, and, 
in theory, at least, eight, sixteen, thirty-two ancestors, each 
generation of ancestors doubling. Now, in plotting a pedigree, 
especially of any of the older thoroughbred horses, many of 
the diverging branches of ancestry will end in " unknown " — 
oftener in regard to a dam than a sire. As an instance, it 
may be mentioned that in the pedigree of old Eclipse foaled 
in 1764, and who lived till near the end of the century, (doubt- 
less the most celebrated horse of his day), if one traces it back 
he will soon come upon twelve unknown dams. It is claimed 
by many expert authorities that these unknown dams are a 
source of great strength and vitality to a pedigree. 

Unplaced. Having no position ; a horse not winning 

any part of a purse is said to be " unplaced." 

Pathfinder ran nnplaced for tlie Derby of 1840. — The Badminton 
Library: Racing, The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, and W. G. 
Craven. 

282 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 283 

Unsoundness. Any deviation from nature. That 
horse is unsound which labors under disease, or that has some 
alteration of structure which does interfere, or is likely to 
interfere, with his natural usefulness. Unsoundness is classed 
under three heads: 1. Absolute unsoundness — those cases 
wherein there can be no question either from a veterinary or 
legal standpoint. 2. Relative unsoundness, or defects which 
may not be unsoundness, according to circumstances, such as 
their nature and position, the age of the animal and the nature 
of the work demanded of it. 3. Hereditary unsoundness, or 
those cases of well-defined transmission to offspring. A list of 
diseases and other alterations of structure causing unsoundness, 
is given : Asthma ; blindness ; bog spavin ; bone spavin ; 
broken wind ; catarrh, (nasal gleet) ; capped hock ; capped 
knee ; cough ; curb ; corns ; canker ; contracted feet ; cribbing ; 
cutting ; eczema, (mange) ; farcy ; false quarter ; founder ; 
glanders ; grease ; groggy gait ; heaves, (broken wind) ; knees 
bent forward ; knuckling with the pastern joint, or joints ; 
laminitis, (founder) ; navicular disease ; ophthalmia ; paralysis ; 
poll evil ; pumice sole ; quidding ; quittor ; rheumatism ; ring- 
bone, (if near the heels so as to alter the flexibility of the car- 
tilage) ; roaring ; sand crack ; stringhalt, (when due to dis- 
eased nerve) ; splint ; swollen knees ; shying, (if from diseased 
eyes) ; strangles ; stumbling, (occasioned by inflammation of 
the foot) ; thorough pin ; thick wind ; thrush ; wind galls ; 
wind sucking, (in later stages when it aft'ects the digestive 
organs); whistling; weakness of sinews; wounds, (till cured). 
In addition to this list the following notes are given : When 
the use of a bar or round shoe is constantly required for corns, 
sand crack or thrush, its use is an evidence of unsoundness ; 
long pasterns, which indicate an unnatural elongation of the 
tendons, are evidence of unsoundness ; a wen upon the wind- 
pipe, or upon a main vein or artery, is an unsoundness ; if the 
frog is so altered in structure as to be perpetually tender, it is 
an unsoundness ; soft enlargements upon the limbs, during 
formation, and until their result is known, are an unsoundness ; 
a distended, bulky, unnaturally large stomach, or barrel, is 
often an indication of dropsy, and in such cases is an unsound- 
ness ; in case medicine is required, until the effects of the 
medicine are removed it constitutes an unsoundness ; every 
species of lameness and tenderness is an unsoundness, until 
removed ; a horse may be serviceable without being absolutely 
sound. 

[Law.] The question of unsonndness is a mixed question of law and 
fact.— Massachusetts Reports, 8 Gray, 1861, p. 432. 

The rule of unsoundness is, tliat if, at the time of the sale, the horse 
has any disease which actually does diminish the natural useful- 
ness of the animal, so as to make him less capable of work of any 



284 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 



description, or which, in its ordinary progress, will diminish the 
natural usefulness of the animal ; or if the horse has, either frorri 
disease or accident, under^fone any alteration of structure, tliat 
either does at the time, or in its ordinary effects will diminish the 
natural usefulness of the horse, such horse is unsound. 

Unsteady. Said of a horse that is good and solid 
against time, but behaves bad in company. 

Untried. By the early racing rules an untried stallion 
or mare was one whose get or produce had never run in public. 
The Turf Congress rules now say : " An untried horse is one 
that has not produced a winner before and up to any certain 
specified time." 

Up. A horse is said to be " up " in a heat when he breaks ; 
the word is also used to denote a horse that is beaten, as, " it is 
all up with him; he's up," that is, he is done. 

Up in Your Anns. An expression used by drivers 
meaning that the horse of which it is said is prompt ; alert ; 
always responsive; "up and dressed;" ready; "right up in 
your arms." 

Up to Weig'ht, means that a driver is just the weight 
required by the rules of the trotting turf, viz : One hundred 
and fifty pounds. 

Used. A term synonymous with aged, and indicates the 
time when the horse has become prematurely old. 



Valve-stem. A small metal tube inserted through the 
felloe of a bicycle sulky wheel through which to pump air into 
the pneumatic tire by means of an air pump. 

Van. A large covered, or enclosed wagon. The first 
recorded instance, in the history of the English turf, of a race 
horse being transported to the course, was in 1836, when Elis, 
owned by Lord Lichfield, was safely conveyed from Danebury 
to Doncaster in a large van which had been constructed for the 
purpose of carrying show cattle, the wheels of which were 
about eighteen inches high. It was drawn by four fast horses. 
The horse won the St. Leger the odds being ten thousand to 
one. Li 1837 Crucifix and San-volatile were vanned from 
Danebury to J^ewmarket. About 1840 horses first began to be 
conveyed by rail in England. 

Vaiiner. [Eng.] A term used to describe the van, or 
express horse of London and other large English cities. A 
horse weighing 1,300 to 1,400 pounds, and standing 15.3 to 16 
hands high, strong built, with good flat bones and sound feet, 
having bold, free action. A near approach to the standard 
van horse would be a cross between a Cleveland Bay, or Coach 
stallion, and a cross bred, or grade draft mare. The vans used 
in London, Liverpool and Glasgow are two-wheeled spring 
wagons, used w^here the dray is regarded as too slow or cum- 
bersome. Van horses take a load of a ton to a ton and a half, 
trotting with it at a fair trot most of the time, unless the 
grade is very heavy. 

Vault. To vault into the saddle is a feat often per- 
formed by skillful riders who have long practiced it. Stand- 
ing on the ground facing the near or left side of the horse, the 
left hand is placed on the pommel of the saddle, and with a 
single leap or bound the rider gains his seat in an instant. 
See S.TiRRUP. 

Vehicle. Any carriage moving on land by means of 
horses, either on wheels or runners. 

V. S. These letters, after the name of a person, mean 
that the man whose name is given is a veterinary surgeon, 

385 



286 HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 



entitled, from having taken a diploma at a veterinary college, 
to so use them. 

Vet. A term, for short, given to an unlearned country- 
horse doctor. 

Veterinary ; Veterinarian. The surgical or medical 
treatment of domestic animals, especially the horse ; one who 
practices the science of veterinary medicine and surgery. 

Veterinary Schools. The first veterinary school in 
the world was established at La Guillatiere, near Lyons, France, 
by Claude Bourgelot, in 1762 ; and by a royal order dated 
June 30, 1764, King Louis XV. gave to this institution the 
title of the "Royal Veterinary School." The second school in 
France was established at Alfort in 1765. The veterinary 
institute at Vienna, Austria, was opened in 1767. The Royal 
Veterinary School at Brussels, Belgium, was established in 
1832. Russia has three veterinary institutes, one each at 
Kharkov, Dorpot and Kazan, all maintained and regulated by 
the government. The Royal Danish Veterinary School at 
Copenhagen was founded in 1773. The first veterinary school 
in Sweden was founded at Skara, in 1726. The Royal Veteri- 
nary School at Stuttgart, Germany, was established in 1796 ; 
and there are also veterinary schools at Hanover and Munich. 
The Veterinary Institute at Berlin was founded in 1786. The 
Royal Veterinary College, London, England, was founded by 
St. Bell, a Frenchman, in 1792. The Ontario Veterinary Col- 
lege was established in 1862 ; and the Montreal Veterinary 
College in 1866. In this country veterinary colleges have been 
established as follows : American, New York, 1875 ; Harvard 
University, Cambridge, Mass., 1882; Chicago, Illinois, 1883; 
University of Pennsylvania, 1885; Cincinnati, Ohio; Des 
Moines, Iowa; Kansas City, Missouri, 1892; United States, 
Washington, D. C. ; McKillop, Chicago, 111. ; Cornell Univer- 
sity, Ithaca, N. Y., 1894. 

Vice. An imperfection in a horse ; something more than 
a fault or blemish ; a bad trick. A horse free from vice is one 
having no bad habits that make him dangerous, or that are 
injurious to his health, or that in any way diminish his nat- 
ural usefulness. 

The longer I live the more fully I am convinced that vice in a horse sig- 
nifies cruelty on the part of man. Vice forms no part of a horse's 
normal condition. — Horse and Man, Rev. J. G. Wood. 

A vice is a bad habit, and a habit to constitute a vice must either be 
shown by the temper of the horse so as to make him dangerous or 
diminish his natural usefulness, or it must be a habit decidedly 
injurious to his health. — American and English Law Encyclopaedia. 

List of vices in the horse: Aversion to special objects; backing when 
harnessed in a carriage ; balking, (when so fixed as to become a bad 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 287 



habit); bolting, (when caused by defective sight it is an unsound- 
ness); biting; boring; buck-jumping; cribbing, crib-biting, (where 
it lias not yet resulted in a fixed disease, or caused a change of 
structure, in wliich case it is an unsoundness); chucking up tlie 
head; disagreeable to approach; disagreeable to groom; difficult 
to harness; difficult to mount; difficult to shoe ; eating the bedding, 
(leading to impaired health); gibbing; getting loose from the head 
stall; hanging back in the halter; halter-casting; hard mouth, 
inveterate rolling ; kicking; leaping into the manger; mischievous 
or decidedly capricious temper; pawing in the stable; propping 
rearing; restiveness, (uneasiness); running when in harness; shy 
ing from nervousness, (if from disease in the eyes it is an unsound 
ness); skittislmess ; striking with the fore feet ; stopping suddenly 
starting or jumping when harnessed before the driver is ready 
weaving; wind-sucking. 

Vulcanized Rubber. The substance of M^hich the 
pneumatic tire of a bicycle sulky is made. The caoutchouc is 
incorporated with sulphur and subjected to a strong heat 
whereby it combines chemically with the sulphur and assumes, 
on cooling, a hard consistency much resembling that of horn. 



w 

W. This letter, in connection with the names of horses 
in summaries of races, and in the trotting and pacing registers, 
indicates that the race was to wagon. 

Wag"On, in turf language, always refers to what is 
known as a skeleton. 

Wag-on Trotting. World's record to the close of 1893. 
One mile : Guy, bl. g. by Kentucky Prince, dam, Flora Gard- 
ner by American Star, (14), 1893, against time, 2.13. Two 
miles : Dexter, br. g. by Hambletonian, dam, Clara, by Amer- 
ican Star, 1865, against time, 4:56^. Three miles: Longfel- 
low, (pacer), ch. g. by Red Bill, dam unknown, 1868, (in a 
race), 7:53. Five miles: Longfellow, (pacer), ch. g. by Red 
Bill, dam unknown, (in a race), 1870, 14:15. Ten miles: 
Julia Aldrich, ch. m., breeding unknown, (in a race), 1858, 
29:04^. 

Waist. The narrowest part of the seat of a saddle — 
about midway between the pommel and cantle. 

Waiting". A waiting race ; not forcing the race at the 
start; the practice of running slowly at the start of a race 
allowing the horses to lead, to see how the other horses are 
going. It is sometimes a good rule to wait. The rider can see 
how the horses are going and then can remain for the present 
where he is, or go in front. Again most horses go better and 
settle down in their gallop sooner with a lead than without one. 

Waiting" in Front. A term used in running races 
where the driver is obliged to wait in the front lead, on account 
of having a horse that cannot be kept behind without more 
being taken out of him than the extra speed would do were he 
allowed to go freely. This is to be understood as saying that 
the rider should merely keep in front without forcing the run- 
ning on his own account, and should simply conform to the 
pace of those immediately behind him, until the moment 
arrives for him to make his effort. But he should never keep 
back at the risk of fighting for the finish. 

The art of waiting in front is a great one to learn ; for if occasion should 
arise, it may often be practiced with the utmost advantage.— The 
Badminton Library : Racing, The Earl of Suffolk and Berkshire, 
and W. G. Craven. 

288 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 289 



I have often seen men in running and trotting races both make a very 
serious mistake, particularly in riding or driving what we call a 
waiting race. Always remember that some other man luay have 
the tools to do just as well with, as you can. — Life with the Trotters, 
John Splan. 

Waive Weig-lit and Distance. To waive weight and 
distance in a race is to mutually disregard the rules; to go at 
catch weight. It is often said that a race is under jSTational 
rules " waiving weight and distance." But no race under the 
rules can be so made. A race either conforms to the rules 
or it does not ; if any particular rule is waived no one can be 
enforced. 

Walk. The slowest pace of the horse ; an elementary act 
of progression is a step, a series of steps is the walk ; that pace 
in which one foot is not raised until its fellow is upon the 
ground, and in which the horse always has two feet upon the 
ground at the same time, (whereas in the trot there is always 
a space of time, of greater or less duration, in which all the 
feet are off the ground), while the diagonal ones are being- 
advanced. A fast walk is the most valuable gait a horse can 
acquire for general business purposes, and it has a great part 
to perform in fitting a horse for rapid locomotion. Youatt 
relates, in his work on the horse, that in 1793 a Hackney mare 
named Sloven, travelled at a walk the distance of twenty-two 
miles in three hours and fifty-two seconds. 

When the horse quickens his walk he does not at once change his pace 
but extends his strides and makes them more uniform, xuitil further 
extension becomes difficult when lie Avill break into a trot in which 
there are never move than two feet upon the ground at a time. — 
The Horse in Motion, J. D. B. Stillman. 

Walk-over. A walk-over is a race in which all the con- 
testants but one fail to appear. In order for him to win the 
race it is necessary for him to go the whole distance prescribed ; 
but as there is nothing to compete against him he may walk 
the entire distance if he chooses. By the racing rules a walk- 
over by any horse entitles him to only one half of the added 
money in stakes. The trotting rules award no purse or added 
money for a waLk-over; but in a stake race a walk-over is 
entitled to all the stake money and forfeit, unless the con- 
ditions provide otherwise. 

Wall-eye. A horse is said to have a wall-eye when the 
iris, (that part of the eye by which the light admitted to the 
retina is regulated), is of a light or white color. 

Wall of the Foot. That portion of the front and 
sides of the horse's foot extending from the coronet, (the 
border-line where the skin joins the hoof), in an oblique direc- 
tion, to the ground; the crust; the natural bearing part of the 

19 



290 HAN'DBOOK OF THE TURF. 

foot. It is upon the wall that the shoe rests, and through it 
the nails confining it are driven. The wall is deepest in front, 
and diminishes toward the quarters and heels, becoming 
thinner; while at its angles of inflection, (the points of the 
heels), it is strong. The wall is fibrous, the fibres passing 
directly parallel to each other from the coronet to the groand, 
each fibre being moulded on, as fast as secreted, by one of the 
minute tufts of blood vessels lodged in the cavity at the 
coronet. 

Warining"-up Heat. An exercise previous to a race ; 
a jogging heat between a real heat ; a test of speed to bring 
a horse to his best edge. 

Warranty. [Law.] A general or express warrant is 
an unconditional undertaking that the horse is really what the 
warrantor professes it to be. In the United States, says the 
American and English Encyclopaedia of Law, there is always 
an implied contract that the vendor, (seller), has a right to dis- 
pose of the article which he sells. A general warrant is an 
unconditional undertaking, therefore, that a horse really is 
what the warrantor professes it to be. There is no particular 
form of words necessary to constitute a warranty. A warrant 
may be qualified — as if the vendor says, "I never warrant, but 
he is sound as far as I know." In this case an action for 
breach can be maintained if it can be proved that the seller 
knew the horse was unsound. A warranty may be limited as 
to time, as, for instance, "after twenty-four hours I do not 
warrant." The seller of a horse in making warranty may 
except some defect of which he knows, or he may expressly 
state in what particulars only, he warrants the animal. A 
general warranty does not cover obvious defects in a horse ; 
being such they are plain to the buyer and require no skill to 
detect. But if the purchaser suspects a defect and wishes to 
examine and try the horse, but the seller objects and says, " I 
will warrant him," he is liable for the defect. Where, how- 
ever, there is no opportunity of inspecting, caveat emptor does 
not apply. If a man not knowing the age of a horse, but 
having a written pedigree which he received with him, sell a 
horse of the age stated in the pedigree, at the same time stat- 
ing he knows nothing of him but what he learned from the 
pedigree, he is not liable to an action when it is shown that 
the pedigree is false. 

Warrant; Warranty. To make good a statement or 
bargain ; a certificate that a horse is as represented. It is not 
requisite that a warranty should be in writing, even though a 
written receipt is given for the money. In Allen vs. Pink — a 



HAN^DBOOK OF THE TUEF. 291 



celebrated English case — the receipt did not include any terms 

of sale, and the buyer proved a verbal warranty. The 

warranty of a horse does not go forward, but back from the 

time of its date. The following is a good form of warranty : 

Hammond's Grove, Me., April 30, 1894. Received this day of George 
Cony, five limidied dollars for a bay mare called Lida,'by Cushnoc, 
daiu by Gleiiarm, warranted six years old and under seven, sound 
in wind and limb, free from vice, and quiet to drive. Eugene 
H. Smith. 

Wartles. Sitfasts resulting from saddle galls on the 
back of a horse. 

Wash-ball Seat. [Eq.] A seat in riding disregarding 
all balance. 

Washer. An iron or leather collar fitted to the end of 
an axle-tree against which the wheel wears to prevent friction 
and retain the oil. 

Washy. A horse that perspires over-freely after slight 

exertion or little exercise, is said to be "washy," a "washy 

horse." In some cases the question has been raised that a 

horse habitually washy was unsound, but it has not been so 

held. 

I have often heard people say that Ranis was a weak and washy horse. 
I don't think that needs any denial, as his performances are. the 
strongest arguments against it.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Water-hook. A metallic hook placed in the center of 
the saddle of a harness, between the terrets, for the purpose of 
holding the check-rein in place. 

Water- jump. [Eng.] A jump over a brook or ditch 
in the steeplechase course. A jump very safe and easy if the 
taking-off and landing are firm and sound; but difficult and 
dangerous if level, marshy, soft and cut up by cattle drinking 
at its sides. With firm turf to take-off from and land upon a 
horse has repeatedly cleared thirty feet ; but twelve feet of a 
brimming brook will stop the best part of a large field. 

Weak Foot. Any weakness of the foot, the result of 
disease causing a change of structure, is an unsoundness. 

Weak Sinews. When sinews at the back of the fore 
legs become thickened, between the knee and the pastern joint, 
producing weakness or irritation, it is an unsoundness. 

Weaving". A continuous motion of the head, neck and 
body, from side to side, like the shuttle of a weaver passing 
through the web — hence the name given to this peculiar, 
incessant and unpleasant action of the horse. It indicates an 
impatient, irritable temper, and a dislike to the confinement of 
the stall. A horse that is a weaver will seldom carry flesh 
well, and is unpleasant to ride or drive. The habit is a 
serious vice. 



292 HANDBOOK OF THE TIJBF, 

"Web of a Shoe. The main bar or body of the horse- 
shoe ; the entire rim ; that part which rests upon, or is fitted to 
the wall of the foot. 

■Weeding--out Sale. A sale in which the breeder, wish- 
ing to dispose of a part of his stud, weeds out animals that are 
good and sound, but which, for one reason or another he does 
not wish to breed from, and places them at a public sale. 

"Weig-hts. By the rules of the New York Trotting Club, 
in 1841, every trotting horse that started in a race, whether 
match, purse or stake, was obliged to carry 145 pounds, the 
weight of the vehicle not to be considered. In 1844 the rules 
of the New York Jockey Club were : Two years old, a feather ; 
three years old, 90 pounds; four years old, 104 pounds; five 
years old, 114 pounds; six years old, 121 pounds; seven years 
and upwards, 126 pounds. An allowance of three pounds was 
made to mares, fillies and geldings. By the present rules of 
the Turf Congress, a feather weight is 75 pou.nds ; and in all 
races, except steeplechases, the limit may be said to be 130 
pounds. But in all races exclusively for two-year olds, the 
weight is 118 pounds; and in races exclusively for three-year 
olds, the weight is 122 pounds. In trotting races — National 
and American rules — to wagon or in harness, the weight is 
150 pounds; and under saddle, (the saddle and whip only, to 
be weighed with the rider), 145 pounds. 

Weig"hts. Extra attachments to the shoe or foot of the 
horse to correct the action, balance the gait, or overcome 
structural defects of motion. Weights are fastened to the toe 
and also to the sides of the fioof ; while more frequently the 
extra weight required is wrought into the web of the shoe in 
the particular place where it is needed, so that the shoe 
becomes the extra weight. These weights vary from two to 
eight ounces, and frequently are as heavy as twelve ounces. 

Weiglit-bearers. The fore legs of the horse as distin- 
guished from the propellers, or hind legs. Dr. William Fearn- 
ley, a celebrated English veterinarian, was the first to class the 
fore legs as the Weight bearers, and the hind legs as the pro- 
pellers. He fixed the coffin-joint as the focus of weight in the 
foot, and decided that if the foot be either too high or too low 
at the heel, or if the proper angle of the ground surface with 
the line of the coronet be changed, the focus of weight will be 
disturbed, (or in other words will be thrown too far backward 
or forward), hence the importance of keeping the foot properly 
leveled was apparent. Mr. Marvin says he is not entirely sure 
whether in the trotting horse the fore leg has strictly no other 



HAlfDBOOK OF THE TUEF. 293 

function than weight-bearing ; but Prof. Stiliman says that in 
both actions, that of weight bearer and also of propeller, the 
fore leg does more than its share. M. Baucher, the eminent 
French savant, is also authority for the statement that the 
weight borne by the anterior and posterior extremities, as 
determined by placing them upon different weighing machines, 
was as 210 for the former to 174 for the latter, the total weight 
of the horse being 850 pounds. 

Weight-carrier ; Weight-puller. A term meaning, 
generally, a horse capable of carrying more than the required 
weight for his age or class, and yet maintaining the extreme of 
his speed ; one pulling, in a race, a driver who is overweight ; 
a horse that is handicapped, as, " Nelson was handicapped by 
the twenty pounds overweight of his owner, who drove him." 
Mr. Marvin utters a self-evident truth when he says : " Other 
things being equal, the horse that carries the least weight will 
stay better, go faster and remain sounder than the weight-car- 
riers." The weight-carrying power of the race horse depends 
upon these particular points of conformation: 1. Length 
and obliquity of shoulder blade; 2, strong loin muscles; 3, 
good substance and fine quality of bone; 4, pasterns not too 
sloping ; 5, absence of undue weight of body beyond that which 
would be necessary for the movements of the limbs, and for the 
performance of the various vital functions. 

Weig'ht-cloths. Loaded saddle cloths used in racing. 
They are fitted with pockets, and made to carry different 
weights, with the amount of each marked on the inside, from 
four to twenty-five pounds. It is said that Lord George Ben- 
tinck, the great English turfman, had a large number of saddle 
cloths exactly alike excepting in weight, by means of which 
weights from four to sixty pounds could be carried. The sheet 
lead forming the weights should be covered with wash leather ; 
and the weight-cloths should be put on well forward, the leads 
being equally distributed on each side. 

Weight for Age. The standard weight apportioned 
to horses according to their ages ; a standard used only in races 
where the different ages can start, special weights being fixed 
for races in which only horses of the same age may start. 
Weight is not only based upon age, but on the distance to be 
run, and as the year passes away the horses grow older and the 
weight is increased. Thus, as an example, a three-year-old 
which carries, at a half mile, 104 pounds in January, would be 
weighted 106 in February; 107 in March; 109 in April; 110 
in May; 111 in June; 113 in July; 115 in August; 116 in 
September, and 117 in October, November and December. 



294 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

Weigrlit-pocket. A receptacle in a horse's boot for 
receiving weight for the purpose of balancing the action. 
Used instead of toe or side weights upon the foot, or a weighted 
shoe. The material used ior weight is usually sheet lead, or 
shot. A boot so fitted is called a weighted or leaded boot. 

Weig^hing' in, and Weighing Out, is required of all 
jockeys and drivers ; weigihing out at the start, weighing in at 
the finish of the heat or race. ^ The Turf Congress rules require 
that horses must bring in within two pounds of the weight 
taken out. It is said that drivers will very often shrink from 
two to two and a half or three pounds in driving a hard, hotly 
contested race. 

Weil-bred. A term often used in describing a horse, 
but one having no real significance or value; nor does it 
increase the worth of the animal. An attested pedigree is the 
only recognized evidence of merit in the breeding of a horse 
that possesses added value. 

Welcher. A race-course swindler who makes bets, takes 
the money if he wins and absconds if he loses. Originated 
from the nursery rhyme : 

"Taffy was a Welshman, Taffy was a tliief." 

Welter; Welter Weight. To lap over. A welter 

weight is 28 pounds added to weight for age; and a "heavy 

welter " is 40 pounds added to weight for age. It is understood 

that this weight took its name from a place in Ireland, much 

frequented during the earlier history of the English turf. 

In welters we impose penalties on professional jocks, because we know 
tliat lliey have been trained in a certain school; whereas we have 
no standard of comparison for gentleman riders. — Seats and Sad- 
dles, Francis Dwyer. 

Wen. A wen on the upper part of the windpipe, or upon 
a main artery or vein, is an unsoundness ; but on other parts 
as on the top of the hock, (capped hock), elbow, or place of 
little consequence, it is a blemish. 

Went to Pieces. Said of a horse that breaks, is 
unsteady and unmanageable in a race ; as, " in the third heat 
Hector, driven by Vet Witham, went to pieces in bad shape." 

Wheels. With the use of the pneumatic tire for sulkys 
a specialty at once came into track vehicle manufacture — that 
of the making of wdieels to be attached to the high sulky, to 
convert it into a "bike." These wheels are constructed of 
both steel and wood, are from 26 to 28 inches in height, weigh 
from 14 to 16 pounds per pair, and are made in a variety of 
patterns. The rims are of steel, cold rolled, or of wood ; the 
hubs are of steel ; the spokes are of both wood and steel ; the 



HAKDBOOK OF THE TURF. 295 



ball or roller bearings are inclosed in recesses or cones in each 
end of the hub, and adjusted by means of a spanner wrench, 
these cones being dust and water proof; the pneumatic tire 
being fitted securely to the rim. 

Wliims of the horse are bad or vicious habits; faults. 
They are : Lolling the tongue, doubling it up, or constantly 
protruding it from the mouth ; striking the lower lip against 
the upper one ; rubbing the lower extremity of the head 
against the manger ; rubbing the tail against surrounding 
objects ; shaking the head up and down, or jerking the reins, 
when being driven ; grasping the branches of the bit with the 
lower lip ; tearing the blanket with the teeth ; resting one 
hind foot upon the other ; lying down cow-fashion ; stripping 
the halter ; pawing in the stable. 

Whip. A name applied to a noted driver or reinsman; 
as " Mr. Thayer was a great whip in his day." 

Whip. A light hand implement used in driving, riding, 
correcting or educating horses. The trotting rules prescribe 
the following lengths to be used in races : For saddle horses, 
2 ft. 10 in. ; sulkies, 4 ft. 8 in.; wagons, 5 ft. 10 in. ; double 
teams, 8 ft. 6 in. ; tandems and four-in-hands, unlimited. A 
snapper not longer than three inches is allowed in addition to 
the above mentioned lengths. The running rules limit the 
weight of a whip at one pound, but do not regulate its length. 

The whip and spur, injudiciously iised, have lost many races,— How to 
Train the Race-horse, Lieut. Col. Warburton. 

The whip is to be kept very mucli in tlie bacicgroxind while you are cul- 
tivating confidence in your liorse. It is more likely to prove an 
obstacle than an aid. — The Trotting Horse of America, Hiram 
Woodruff. 

The whip should never be picked up before the last thirty or forty- 
yards, nor should more tlian two or three cuts be given. When a 
joclcey begins to tlog two or three hundred yards from home, we 
need not be surprised al seeing his horse, after answering tlie call 
for ten or a dozen strides, go slower and slower as he neavs the 
judge's box. During a race, hold the whip with the lash down, and 
the jockey should strike his horse nowhere except just behind the 
girth. 

Whip-hand. [Eq.] The right hand. 

Whip-spur. A spur attached to the thumb-button on 
the stock of a sulky whip, to be used in urging the horse, if 
necessary, at the finish of a race. It is adjustable and may be 
removed should the driver desire. 

Whip Training". The method of some horse trainers 
of driving a horse without bit, line or reins, simply by the 
motions of the whip. It illustrates the beauty and simplicity 
of man's powder over this magnificent animal, and the high 
degree of intelligence which he possesses. The method is 
acquired by the horse in from four to six weeks' practice. 



296 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

■Whipping" his Boot. A trick of the jockey for the 
purpose of deluding his (Opponent. It is tried by the rider of 
the speedier horse in the hope of inducing the rider of a stayer 
to slacken speed from the idea that he has the race in hand, and 
that there is no use in hurrying. 

Whippletree. The bar to which the traces, or tugs of 
a harness are fastened, and by which the sulky or buggy is 
drawn. 

Whirlbone; round-bone; trochanter. The hip 
joint. Eelied upon by all experts as a standard point for 
measurement of the exterior conformation of the horse. 

Whisperer, The. The name by which Con Sullivan, 
of County Cork, Ireland, was known all over Great Britain. 
He was a most extraordinary person, who possessed great 
power over vicious horses, subduing them by whispering in 
their ear. He tamed the vicious horse, Rainbow, owned by 
Col. Westenra, and Mr. Wholey's horse, King Pippin, in 1804, 
the latter a terribly savage beast. With the latter horse The 
Whisperer was shut up in his stable all night, but in the 
morning the horse would follow him like a dog, obeying every 
word instantly, allowing persons to put their hand in his 
mouth, and standing as gentle as a lamb. How he obtained 
this wonderful command over the horse has never been known. 

Whistler. A horse that breathes hard. Whistling is 

one of the variations of sound emitted by a horse known as a 

roarer. It is legal unsoundness. 

He therefore excited plenty of bidding when put np for sale after- 
Avards, and altliongli a " whistler," is worth the five hundred and 
twenty guineas at which he was knocked down.— London Field. 

White, as a color in horses, is popularly indicative of 
weakness, and horses of this color are also believed to be slow, 
lymphatic, and deficient in energy and vital courage. They 
are easily soiled, difficult to keep clean, and are said to be 
more liable to pink-eye and similar diseases than horses of 
solid color. 

White-honed. A family of pure, milk white horses in 
Germany. They are foaled pure white, and most of them are 
wall-eyed, or glass eyed. They are of good size, uniform in 
color, and have been in-bred for a long series of years. 

White Horse of Berkshire, Scouring of the. 
The " vale of the white horse " is located between Abingdon 
and Uffington, in the county of Berks, England. It takes its 
name from a massive figure of a galloping horse rudely chis- 
eled on the side of a steep chalk hill, 893 feet high. The fig- 
iire is about 374 feet in length, and can be seen at a distance 



HANDBOOK OF THE TUTIF. 297 

of ten or twelve miles in a fair day when the sun is shining 
upon it. Tradition attributes its cutting to King Alfred, and 
regards it as a monument of the victory won by him over the 
Danes in the great battle of Ashdown in 871. He is said to 
have carved a horse, rather than any other object, because that 
was tne device borne on the Saxon standard. As, in the 
course of time, the trench which forms the figure of the horse 
would naturally become grown over, the people living in the 
vicinity have a custom of meeting, each year, on a certain day, 
for the purpose of "scouring," or cleaning it This day is 
m.ade the occasion of a festival, at which manly games and 
sports are indulged in for prizes. Hence the term, " scouring 
of the white horse," which has become classic through the 
story of Mr. Thomas Hughes, the English novelist. 

Whoa. A word which is the only safeguard in many 
cases of accident. It should never be used in the education or 
handling of horses, excepting when the horse is in motion, 
and you wish him to stop. Do not use it generally, and on 
every occasion — as on entering the horse's stall and you wish 
him to stand over, or when harnessing him and he is restive. 
For all these instances have other and significant words ; but 
have the horse so educated that when joii are driving, in case 
the rein, or bit, or breeching strap should break, or anji;hing 
else be out of place, he would instantly stop at the word 
"whoa." It is not difficult to so teach him, and when under 
complete discipline in this respect his value is increased ten- 
fold for all road, driving or speed purposes. In the old days 
of racing some drivers taught their horses to increase their 
speed at the loud shouting of the words "whoa, whoa!" (for 
the purpose of breaking up other horses on the back stretch), 
but the days of such methods in driving have, happily, passed 
away forever. 

Win in a Canter. An easy finish in a running race. 
To " win in a canter " is to so far distance the other horses in 
the field, that urging at the end of the race is needless, and 
one can come home at an easy jog. 

Winners' Handicap. Weights for a race of winning 
horses. Thus, the winning horses of previous races being 
pitted together in a race royal, are first handicapped according 
to their respective merits ; the horse that has won three races 
has to carry a greater weight than the horse that has won 
only two ; and this latter more than its competitor, who is 
winner of a single race only. 

Winning" a Heat. In heats of one, two, three or four 
miles, a horse not winning one heat in three cannot start 



298 HANDBOOK OF THE TUBF. 

for a fourth, unless he has made a dead heat. In heats best 
three in five^ a horse not winning a heat in the first five is not 
entitled to start for a sixth, unless he has made a dead heat — 
but these horses thus ruled out have a right to a share of the 
premium, or purse, according to their rank at the close of 
their last heat. 

Winning- Horse. A horse must win a majority of the 
heats which are required by the conditions of a race, to be 
entitled to the stake or purse ; but if he distances all compet- 
itors in one heat, the race is terminated and he receives the 
entire purse or stakes contended for^ unless the special condi- 
tions of the race provide otherwise. 

Winning Sires. Stallions, the producers of horses 
that have been great winners in the races of the year; or 
which have put the largest number of sons and daughters 
within the low-record lists. 

Winnings. The sums of money in stakes, purses and 
premiums won by a horse in races during a year or a series of 
years. Thus : The winnings of Eclipse during his life-time 
are said to have amounted to $125,000 ; King Herod is said to 
have won a total of over £200,000 ; Ormonde won for his 
owner, the Duke of Westminster, nearly $145,000 ; Domino 
won as a two-year-old, in a single year, $176,730. 

Winchester. The famous war-horse of Gen. P. H. 
Sheridan. He was foaled in 1858 near Grand Rapids, Mich- 
igan. He came into Gen. Sheridan's possession in 1862, and 
went through the Mississippi campaign, and was afterwards 
transferred to the Army of the Potomac, going through numer- 
ous engagements. In 1863 he carried his master in the cele- 
brated ride from Winchester to Cedar Creek, Va., a distance 
of twenty miles, keeping in advance of the General's staff and 
escort the whole distance. Winchester went through between 
eighty-five and ninety battles, and was wounded three times. 
He died at Chicago, 111., October 2, 1878. 

Wind. The breath of a horse. " Sound of wind," in a 
warranty, means that the horse warranted has no disease or 
imperfection in his windpipe, larynx or bronchi, (air passages), 
like grunting, high-blowing, thick wind or whistling. 

Windage. The resistance to the air of any body pass- 
ing through it at a rapid rate. A term much used in connec- 
tion with the description and testing of different kinds of 
sulky wheels. 

Wind-galls ; Wind-puffs. The name given to soft, 
puffy bunches the size of a hickory nut, which frequently 



HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 299 

occur on the fore leg at the upper part of the fetlock joint, 
between the tendon and the shin bone. They occasionally 
develop on the hind leg. The joints and tendons at these 
parts are furnished with sacs filled with a lubricating substance 
known as synovia, and when these sacs become over-distended 
with this fluid it produces wind-puffs, or wind-galls. Hunters, 
hurdle racers and trotters with excessive knee action, are all 
predisposed to this form of injury. Complete rest will gener- 
ally effect a cure. 

"Wind-split. Broken wind. 

Wind-sucker. A term applied to a horse having the 
heaves. Wind-sucking renders the horse unsound. 

Wing's. The projecting ends at the heel of a shoe, bent 
forward and inward, to rest on the bars of the foot. 

Winkers. The side pieces of a blind bridle. 

Wire-edg"e. When a horse is in high fettle, is rank 
for a race and in the highest condition to do his best at speed, 
he is said to be " wire-edged." 

If your liorse is particularly rank, work him alone nntil you get the 
wire-edge off him, then take your prompter and show him that he 
is not going to be hu.rt.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Wire, Tlie. Home ; the score ; a goal in a trotting 

race ; to " come under the wire first," is to win the heat. 

Wire Snaffle. Explained by the quotation : 

A fancy bit, worthy of only a junk-shop. — The Bridle Bits, Col. J. C. 
Battersby. 

Wiring"-in. A peculiar form of contraction affecting 
the fore feet, and occasionally the hind feet of horses. In 
most cases it is the inside heel which contracts, and when this 
occurs the horse is said to " wire in." 

Witliers. The bony ridge which is the forward contin- 
uation of the back. Its posterior limit runs into that of the 
back in a gradual manner ; its anterior termination ends 
abruptly at the crest ; at its sides the shoulders meet. 

W. O. Following the name of a horse in the trotting 
and pacing records, means a walk-over. 

Wobble. An unsteady gait; the warning of a break. 
Mr. Splan, in describing one of his races with Rarus, says : 
" He Avent steadily true all the way to the head of the stretch, 
and there he made a wobble, as though he was going to 
break." Mr. Marvin describes a race between Rarus and 
Goldsmith Maid, in which Budd Doble had said that the mare 
was " wobbling throughout the entire heat," and Mr. Splan 
replied, " Well, she has wobbled as good a mile as ever she 



300 HANDBOOK OF THE TURF. 

did in het life." This instance is believed to be the only one 
in trotting annals in which a horse "wobbled" during the 
entire heat. 

Woodruff, Hiram Wasliington. Born at Birming- 
ham, N. J., February 22, 1817 ; died at Jamaica Plains, Long 
Island, N". Y., March 15, 1867. He trained and drove Flora 
Temple, Dutchrnan, Topgallant, Paul Pry, Lady Suffolk, Ajax, 
Hector and Dexter. Author of a treatise on training and 
driving, entitled " The Trotting Horse of America." " He 
carried the American trotting horse triumphantly over the 
gap which lies between 2:40 and 2:18." 

Word, The. The magic word " go," given to the field 
by the starter. Drivers " get the word ; " the starting judge 
" gives the word." 

Work ; Work-out. Training ; the art of putting a 
horse in condition for a race ; more or less exercise for the 
purpose of fitting the horse to go to the extreme point of his 
speed capacity. The amount of work must invariably be reg- 
ulated by the age, condition and peculiar characteristics of the 
horse, and for this no fixed rules can be given; individual 
experience must be the only guide. 

In training, the trouble you will find it very hard to fight against will 
be the tendency to give too much work. You will like to see your 
colt go another brush, and Avhen he is going fast and true you will 
hate to stop him. Development ceases when you get out the last 
link. The brush should never extend beyond the point where you 
do not believe he can be improved with the next step. When a 
horse tires he loses control of his legs and feet, in a great measure, 
and if weiglited the trouble is aggravated. He breaks, he falters in 
his gait, strikes himself, goes to hitching, hobbling— anytliing to 
rest himself— and, as a natural consequence of this work, goes back 
in liis speed, and loses precision in action.—Training the Trotting 
Horse, Charles Marvin. 

I worked my horse out about three days before the race, and then and 
there decided to back him and try to beat Goldsmith Maid. * * * 
The first thing to do, in working a horse, is to teach liim to score. 
* * * Instead of driving him one mile in 2:30, drive him a two 
mile heat in 5: 20; that would be each mile in 2:40, which would 
condition his body and help to strengthen his weak legs. I think a 
day's work like this given him once a week, with moderate jogging 
the balance of the time and a little opening-out the day before you 
want to work him again, will be all that will be necessary for him 
to have. The nearer you get to your race, the shorter work the 
horse should have ; that is, instead of giving him four or five heats, 
give him two or three, with occasional brushes at nearly the top of 
his speed.— Life with the Trotters, John Splan. 

Working G-ait. Half speed. " The tendency, in most 
training, is to overwork," says Mr. Splan, " but if trainers con- 
fine themselves to a working gait it will be almost impossible 
to overwork a horse." What would be a working gait for one 
horse, however, would not for another; as a 2:10 horse could 
be worked at a much faster gait thUn a 2:30 horse. It is 
entirely a matter of individuality on the part of the horse, and 
one in which the driver must be governed largely by experience. 



HANDBOOK OP THE TURF. 301 

Working' Track. A private track in connection with 
breeding establishments, usually of one-half or three-fourths of 
a mile ; not a public track. 

Wounds of every description, however slight they may 
be, since there is no certainty as to how they may terminate, 
stamp a horse as unsound. 

Wry Tail, or an oblique tail, is caused by the contrac- 
tion of the muscles of the tail on one side. It is a serious 
blemish. 



Yankee. The first horse to trot a mile inside of three 
minutes, in America, so far as the records show, was " the 
horse, Yankee, from l^ew Haven, Conn.," which trotted a mile 
on the Harlem, N. Y., course, in June, 1806, in 2:59. 

Year Books. The recognized authoritative publication 
for all trotting and pacing records of the American turf, is 
Wallace's Year Book, issued annually, of which nine volumes 
have been published up to 1894. For the racing turf the 
authority is Goodwin's [formerly Kirke's] Official Turf Guide, 
published annually. 

Yeomanry Kaces. [Eng.] In the yeomaniy races 
those who enter are obliged to deliver despatches to an ofiicer 
known to be posted at a certain spot a given number of miles 
away, across country. Each man carries his despatch, and the 
first to place it in the hands of the officer, wins the race. 

Yielding". Responding. The act by which the horse 
gives up resistance to the bit and reins, when the latter are 
brought into tension to place the horse under control. 

Yoke. A metal attachment connected to the shaft of a 
sulky by means of a clip and a forged beveled bolt, milled and 
threaded to receive a nut, for the purpose of holding the upper 
ends of the braces used to support the pneumatic wheel, when 
attached to the high sulky. 



30^ 



Zone. A slender, intermediate band of soft, light-col- 
ored horn, situated between the horny sole of the foot and the 
inner face of the lower margin of the wall, which unites the 
two in a solid and perfect manner. This is often called by 
farriers, (horseshoers), the "white line." 



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garden. It meets the wants of all classes in country, city and vil- 
lage who keep a garden for their own enjoyment rather than for 
the sale of products. By Peter Henderson. Finely Illustrated. 
Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

Johnson's How Crops Grow. 

New Edition. A Treatise on the Chemical Composition, Structure 
and Life of tlie Plant. Revised Edition. This book is a guide to 
the knowledge of agricultural plants, their composition, their 
structure and modes of development and growth ; of the complex 
organizations of plants, and the use of the parts; the germination 
of seeds, and the food of plants obtained both from the air and 
the soil. The book is a valuable one to all real students of agricul- 
ture. With numerous illustrations and tables of analysis. By Prof. 
Samuel W. Johnson of Yale College. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 



STAKDABD BOOKS. 3 

Johnson's How Crops Feed. 

A Treatise on the Atmosphere and the Soil, as related in the 
Nutrition of Agricultural Plants. This volume— the companion and 
complement to "How Crops Grow" — has been welcomed by those 
who appreciate the scientific aspects of agriculture. Illustrated. 
By Prof. Samuel W. Johnson. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

Market Gardening: and Farm Notes. 

By Barnet Landreth. Experiences and Observations for both 
North and South, of interest to the Amateur Gardener, Trucker and 
Farmer. A novel feature of the book is the calendar of farm and 
garden operations for each month of the year; the chapters on 
fertilizers, transplanting, succession and rotation of crops, the 
packing, shipping and marketing of vegetables, will be especially 
useful to market gardeners. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Forest Planting:. 

A Treatise on the Care of "VToodlands and the Restoration of the 
Denuded Timber-Lands on Plains and Mountains. By H. Nicholas 
Jarchow, LL. D. The author has fully described those European 
methods which have proved to be most useful in maintaining the 
superb forests of tlie old world. This experience has been adapted 
to the different climates and trees of America, full instructions be- 
ing given for forest planting on our various kinds of soil and sub- 
soil, whether on mountain or valley. Illustrated, 12mo. 1.50 

Harris' Talks on Manures. 

By Joseph Harris, M. S., author of ""Walks and Talks on the Farm," 
"Harris on the Pig," etc. Revised and enlarged by the author. A 
series of familiar and practical talks between the author and the 
Deacon, the Doctor, and other neighbors, on the whole subject of 
manures and fertilizers : including a chapter especially written for 
it, by Sir John Bennet Lawes of Rothamsted, England. Cloth, 
12mo. 1.75 

Truck Farming: at the South. 

A work which gives the experience of a successful grower of vege^ 
tables or " truck" for Northern markets. Essential to any one who 
contemplates entering this promising field of Agriculture. By A. 
Oemler of Georgia. Hlustrated, cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Sweet Potato Culture. 

Giving full instructions from starting the plants to harvesting and 
storing the crop. With a chapter on the Chinese Yam. By James 
Fitz, Keswich, Ya., author of "Southern Apple and Peach Culture." 
Cloth, 12mo. -60 

Heinrich's Window Flower Garden. 

The aiTthor is a practical florist, and this enterprising volume em- 
bodies his personal experiences in Window Gardening during a 
long period. New and enlarged edition. By Julius J. Heinrich, 
Fully illustrated. Cloth,. 12mo. •76 



4 STANDAED BOOKS, 

Greenhouse Construction. 

By Prof . L. R. Taft. A complete treatise on Greenhouse structures 
and arrangements of the varioits forms and styles of Plant Houses 
for professional florists as well as amateurs. All the best and most 
approved structures are so fully and clearly described that anyone 
■who desires to build a Greenhouse will have no difficulty in deter- 
mining the kind best suited to his purpose. The modern and most 
successful methods of heating and ventilating are fully treated 
upon. Special chapters are devoted to houses used for the growing 
of one kind of plants exclusively. The construction of hotbeds 
and frames receives appropriate attention. Over one hundred ex- 
cellent illustrations, specially engraved for this work, make every 
point clear to the reader and add considerably to the artistic ap- 
pearance of the book. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Bulbs and Tuberous-Rooted Plants. 

By C. L. Allen. A complete treatise on the History, Description, 
Methods of Propagation and full Directions for the successful cul- 
ture of Bulbs in the garden, Dwelling and Greenhouse. As gener- 
ally treated, bulbs are an expensive luxury, while, when properly 
managed, they afford the greatest amount of pleasure at the least 
cost. The author of this book has for many years made bulb grow- 
ing a specialty, and is a recognized authority on their cultivation 
and management. The illustrations which embellish this work 
have been drawn from nature, a,nd have been engraved especially 
for this book. The cultural directions are plainly stated, practical 
and to the point. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

Henderson's Practical Floriculture. 

By Peter Henderson. A guide to the successful propagation and 
cultivation of florists' plants. The work is not one for florists and 
gardeners only, but the amateur's wants are constantly kept in 
mind, and we have a very complete treatise on the cultivation of 
flowers under glass, or in the open air, suited to those who grow 
flowers for pleasure as well as those who raake them a matter of 
trade. Beautifully illustrated. New and enlarged edition. Cloth, 
12mo. 1.50 

Long:'s Ornamental Gardenin§: for Americans. 

A Treatise on Beautifying Homes, Rural Districts and Cemeteries. 
A plain and practical work at a moderate price, with numerous 
illustrations and instructions so plain that they may be readily 
followed. By Elias A. Long, Landscape Architect. Illustrated, 
Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

The Propag:ation of Plants. 

By Andrew S- Puller. Illustrated with numerous engravings. An 
eminently practical and useful work. Describing the process of 
hybridizing and crossing species and varieties, and also the many 
different modes by which cultivated plants may be propagated and 
multipUed. Cloth, ISmo. IM 



STA2irDARD BOOKS. 5 

Parsons on the Rose. 

By Samuel B. Parsons. A treatise on tlie propagation, culture and 
history of the rose. New and revised edition. In his work upon 
the rose, Mr. Parsons has gathered up the curious legends concern- 
ing the flower, and gives us an idea of the esteem in which it was 
held in former times. A simple garden classification has been 
adopted, and the leading varieties under each class enumerated 
and briefly described. The chapters on multiplication, cultivation 
and training are very full, and the work is altogether one of the 
most complete before the public. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Henderson's Handbook of Plants. 

This new edition comprises about fifty per cent, more genera than 
the former one, and embraces the botanical name, derivation, 
natural order, etc., together with a short history of the different 
genera, concise instructions for their propagation and culture, and 
all the leading local or common English names, together with a 
comprehensive glossary of Botanical and Technical terms. Plain 
instructions are also given for the cultivation of the principal veg- 
etables, fruits and flowers. Cloth, large 8vo. 4.00 

Barry's Fruit Garden. 

By P. Barry. A standard work on Fruit and Fruit Trees ; the author 
having had over thirty years' practical experience at the head of 
one of the largest nurseries in this country. New edition revised 
up to date. Invaluable to all fruit growers. Illustrated. Cloth, 
12mo. 2.00 

Fulton's Peach Culture. 

This is the only practical guide to Peach Culture on the Delaware 
Peninsula, and is the best work upon the subject of peach growing 
for those who would be successful in that culture in any part of 
the country. It has been thoroughly revised and a large portion of 
it rewitten, by Hon. J. Alexander Fulton, the author, bringing it 
down to date. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Strawberry Culturist. 

By Andrew S. Fuller. Containing the History, Sexuality, Field and 
Garden Culture of Strawberries, forcing or pot culture, how to 
grow from seed, hybridizing, and all information necessary to en- 
able everybody to raise their own strawberries, together with a 
description of new varieties and a list of the best of the old sorts. 
Fully illustrated. Flexible cloth, 12mo. .25 

Fuller's Small Fruit Culturist. 

By Andrew S. Fuller. Rewritten, enlarged, and brought fully up to 
the present time. The book covers the whole ground of propagating 
Small Fruits, their culture, varieties, packing for market, etc. It is 
very finely and thoroughly illustrated, and makes an admirable 
companion to "The Grape Culturist," by the same well known 
iwtlior. 1^ 



6 STASTDARD BOOKS. 

Fuller's Grape Culturist. 

By A. S. Fuller. This is one of the very best of works on the Ctil- 
ture of the Hardy Grapes, with full directions for all departments 
of propagation, cultvire, etc., with 150 excellent engravings, illus- 
trating planting, training, grafting, etc. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Quinn's Pear Culture for Profit. 

Teaching How to Raise Pears intelligently, and with the best re- 
sults, how to find out the character of the soil, the best methods of 
jn-eparing it, the best varieties to select under existing conditions, 
the best modes of planting, pruning, fertilizing, gi-af ting, and utiliz- 
ing the ground before the trees come into bearing, and finally of 
gathering and packing for market. Hlustrated. By P. T. Quinn, 
practical horticulturist. Cloth, 12rao 1.00 

Husmann's American Grape Growing: and Wine-Making;. 

By George Husmann of Talcoa vineyards, ISTapa, California. New 
and enlarged edition. With contributions from well know grape- 
growers, giving a wide range of experience. The author of this 
book is a recognized authority on the subject. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

White's Cranberry Culture. 

Contents: — Natural History. — History of Cultivation. — Choice of 
Location.— Preparing the Ground. — Planting the Vines. — Manage- 
ment of Meadows. — Flooding. — Enemies and Difficulties Overcome. 
— ^Picking. — Keeping. — ^Profit and Loss. — Letters from Practical 
Growers. — Insects Injurious to the Cranberry. By Joseph J. AVhite, 
a practical grower. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. New and revised 
edition. 1.25 

Fuller's Practical Forestey. 

A Treatise on the Propagation, Planting and Cultivation, with a 
description and the botanical and proper names of all the indigen- 
ous trees of the United States, both Evergreen and Deciduovis, with 
Notes on a large number of the most valuable Exotic Species. By 
Andrew S. Fuller, author of "Grape Culturist," "Small Fruit Cul- 
turist," etc. 1.50 

Stewart's Irrig:ation for the Farm, Garden and Orchard. 

This work is offered to those American Farmers and other cultiva- 
tors of the soil who, from painful experience, can readily appre- 
ciate the losses which result from the scarcity of water at critical 
periods. By Henry Stewart. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Quinn's Money in the Garden. 

By P. T. Quinn. The author gives in a plain, practical style, in- 
structions on three distinct, although closely connected branches 
of gardening— the kitchen garden , market garden, and field culture, 
from successful practical experience for a terra of years. Hlustra- 
ted. Cloth, 12mo. 1^ 



STANDAKD BOOKS. 7 

Roe's Play and Profit in My Garden. 

By E. P. Roe. The author takes us to his garden on the rocky hill- 
sides in the vicinity of West Point, and shoAA'^s us how out of it, 
after four years' experience, he evoked a profit of $;i,000, and this 
while carrying on pastoral and literary labor. It is very rarely 
that so much literary taste and skill are mated to so much agri- 
cultural experience and good sense. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

The New Onion Culture. 

By T. Greiner. This new work is written by one of our most suc- 
cessful agriculturists, and is full of new, original, and highly valu- 
able matter of material interest to every one who raises onions in 
the family garden, or by the acre for market. By the process here 
described a crop of 2000 bushels per acre can be as easily raised as 
500 or 600 bushels in the old way. Paper, 12rao. .50 

The Dairyman's Manual. 

By Henry Stewart, aiithor of "The Shepherd's Manual," "Irriga- 
tion," etc. A useful and practical work, by a writer who is well 
known as thoroughly familiar with the subject of which he writes. 
Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

Allen's American Cattle. 

Their History, Breeding and Management. By Lewis F. Allen. 
This book will be considered indispensable by every breeder of 
live stock. The large experience of the author in improving the 
character of American herds adds to the Aveight of his observations 
and has enabled him to produce a Avoric Avhich Avill at once make 
good his claims as a standard authority on the subject. New and 
revised edition. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 2.50 

Profits in Poultry. 

Useful and ornamental Breeds and their Profitable Management. 
This excellent Avork contains the combined experience of a num- 
ber of i>ractical men in all departments of poultry raising. It is 
profusely illustrated and forms a unique and important addition 
to our poultry literature. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

The American Standard of Perfection. 

The recognized standard work on Poultry in this country, adopted 
by the American Poultry Association. It contains a complete de- 
scription of all the recognized varieties of foAvls, including turkeys, 
ducks and geese ; gives instructions to judges ; glossary of technical 
terms and nomenclature. It contains 244 pages, handsome) y 
boimd in cloth, embellished with title in gold on front cover. $1.00 

Stoddard's An hgg Farm. 

By H. H. Stoddard. The management of poultry In large numbers, 
being a series of articles written for the AMERICAM" AGRICUl-TUR- 
IST. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. -60 



8 STAIS^DARD BOOKS. 

Stewart's Shepherd*s Manual. 

A "Valuable Practical Treatise on the Sheep for American farmers 
and stieep growers. It is so plain that a farmer or a farmer's son 
who has never kept a sheep, may learn from its pages how to 
manage a floclc successfully, and yet so complete that even the ex- 
perienced shepherd may gather many suggestions from it. The 
results of personal experience of some years witli the characters 
of the various modern breeds of sheep, and the sheep raising capa- 
bilities of many portions of our extensive territory and that of 
Canada— and the careful study of the diseases to which our sheep 
are chiefly subject, with those by which they may eventually be 
afflicted through unforseen accidents— as well as the methods of 
management called for under onr circumstances, are carefully 
described. By Henry Stewart. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Wrig:ht*s Practical Poultry-Keeper. 

By L. Wright. A complete and standard guide to the management 
of poultry, for domestic use, the markets or exhibition. It suits at 
once the plain poulterer, who must make the business pay, and the 
chicken fancier whose taste is for gay plumage and strange, bright 
birds. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. $2.00 

Harris on the Pi§:. 

New Edition. Revised and enlarged by the atithor. The points of 
the various English and American breeds are thoroughly discussed, 
and the great advantage of using thoroughbred males clearly 
shown. The work is equally valuable to the farmer who keeps but 
few pigs, and to the breeder on an extensive scale. By Joseph 
Harris. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

The Farmer's Veterinary Adviser. 

A guide to the Prevention and Treatment of Disease in Domestic 
Animals. This is one of the best works on this subject, and is es- 
pecially designed to supply the need of the busy American Farm- 
er, who can rarely avail himself of the advice of a Scientific Veter- 
inarian. It is brovight up to date and treats of the Prevention of 
Disease as well as of the Remedies. By Prof. Jas. Law. Cloth. 
Crown, 8vo. 3.00 

Dadd's American Cattle Doctor. 

By George H. Dadd, M. D., Veterinary Practitioner. To help every 
man to be his own cattle-doctor; giving the necessary information 
for preserving the health and curing the diseases of oxen, cows, 
sheep and swine, with a great variety of original recipes, and val- 
uable information on farm and dairy management. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Cattle Breeding:. 

By Wm. Warfield. This work is by common consent the most 
valuable and pre-eminently practical treatise on cattle-breeding 
ever published in America, being the actual experience and ob- 
servance ot a practical man. Cloth, l2mo. 2.00 



STANDARD BOOKS. 9 

Badd's American Cattle Doctor. 

A complete work on all the Diseases of Cattle, Sheep and Swine, in- 
cluding every Disease peculiar to America, and embracing all the 
latest information on the Cattle Plague and Trichina; containing 
also a guide to symptoms, a table of Weights and Measures, and a 
list of Valuable Medicines. By George H. Dadd, V. S., twenty-five 
years a leading Veterinary Surgeon in England and the United 
States, and author of the "American Reformed Horse Book." Cloth, 
octavo. Illustrated. 2.50 

Cattle and Their Diseases. 

By A. J. Murray, M. R. C. V. S. Breeding and Management of Cat- 
tle. This is one of the very few works devoted exclusively to 
cattle diseases, and will be particularly valuable to cattlemen 
for that reason. It is written in plain, simple language, easily un- 
derstood by any farmer, while it is learned and technical enough 
to satisfy any veterinary surgeon. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 



Silos, Ensila§:e, and Sila§:e. 



A practical Treatise on the Ensilage of Fodder Corn, containingf 
the most recent and authentic information on this important sub- 
ject, by Manly Miles, M. D. F. R. ]M. S. Illustrated. Cloth, 12mo. .50 

Manures. 

How to Make and How to Use them. By Frank W. Sempers. The 
author has made a concise, practical handbook containing the lat- 
est researches in agricultiire in all parts of the world. The reports 
of the agricultural experiment stations have furnished many val- 
uable suggestions. Both commercial and home-made manures 
are fully described, and many formulas for special crops and soils 
are given. Price postpaid, paper 50 cents, cloth. 1.00 

Potato Pests. 

No farmer can afford to be without this Httle book. It gives the 
most complete account of the Colorado Beetle anywhere to be 
found, and includes all the latest discoveries as to the habits of the 
insect and the various means for its destruction. It is well illustra- 
ted, and exhibits in a map the spread of the insect since it left its 
native home. By Prof. C. V. Riley. Paper. .50 

Your Plants. 

Plain and Practical Directions for the Treatment of Tender and 
Hardy Plants in the House and in the Garden. By James Sheehan. 
The work meets the wants of the amateur who grows a few plants 
in the window, or has a small flower garden. Paper covers. .40 

Pedder's Land-Measurer for Farmers. 

A convenient Pocket Companion, showing at once the contents of 
any piece of land, when its length and width are unknown, up to 
1500 feet either way, witli various other useful farm tables. Cloth, 
18mo. •^O 



10 STA^NDAED BOOKS. 

Hop Culture. 

Plain directions given by ten experienced cultivators. Revised, 

enlarged and edited by A. S. Fuller. Forty engravings. .30 

Wheat Culture. 

How to double the yield and increase the profits. By D. S. Curtiss, 
"Washington, D. C. Importance of the Wheat Crop. Varieties Most 
Grown in the United States. Examples of Successful Wheat Cul- 
ture. Illustrated. Paper covers. .50 

Starr's Farm Echoes. 

By F. Ratchford Starr, Echo Farm, Litchfield, Ct. This handsome 
little book tells how the author turned from a successful business 
career to agricultviral pursuits, and has achieved health, happiness 
and prosperity upon his broad acres near Litchfield. Cloth, 12mo. 
Illustrated. .50 

The American Merino. For Wool or for Mutton. 

A practical and most valuable work on the selection, care, breeding 
and diseases of the Merino sheep, in all sections of the United 
States. It is a full and exhaustive treatise upon this one breed of 
sheep. By Stephen Powers. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Coburn's Swine Husbandry. 

New, revised and enlarged edition. The Breeding, Rearing, and 
Management of Swine, and the Prevention and Treatment of their 
Diseases. It is the fullest and freshest compendium relating to 
Swine Breeding yet offered. By F. D. Coburn. Cloth, 12mo. 1.75 

Tobacco Culture: Full Practical Details. 

This useful and valuable work contains full details of every process 
from the Selection and Propagation of the Seed and Soil to the 
Harvesting, Curing and Marketing the Crop, with illustrative en- 
gravings of the operations. The work was prepared by Fourteen 
Experienced Tobacco Growers, residing in different parts of the 
country. It also contains notes on the Tobacco Worm, with Illus- 
trations. 8vo. .25 

Keeping: One Cow. 

A collection of prize Essays and Selections from a number of other 
Essays, with editorial notes, suggestions, etc. This book gives the 
latest informatioTi, and in a clear and condensed form, upon the 
management of a single Milch Cow. Illustrated with full page en- 
gravings of the most famous dairy cows. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Guenon's Treatise on Milch Cows. 

A treatise on the Bovine Species in General. An entirely new 
translation of the last edition of this popular and instructive book. 
By Thomas J. Hand, Secretary of the American Jersey Cattle Club. 
With over 100 illustrations, especially engraved for this work. 
Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 



STAiq-DAED BOOKS. 11 



Sander's Horse Breeding:. 



Being the general principles of Heredity applied to the Business of 
Breeding Horses and tlie Management of Stallions, Brood Mares 
and Foals. The book embraces all that the breeder wishes to know 
in regard to the selection of stock, management of the stallion, 
brood mare, and foal, and treatment of diseases peculiar to breed- 
ing animals. By J. H. Sanders. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

Herbert's Hints to Horse Keepers. 

Tliis is one of the best and most popular works on the horse pre- 
pared in this country. A complete manual for horsemen, embrac- 
ing: How to Breed a Horse; How to Buy a Horse; How to Break a 
Horse ; How to Use a Horse ; How to Feed a Horse ; How to Physic a 
Horse (Allopathy or HomcBopathy) ; How to Groom a Horse ; How 
to Drive a Horse ; How to Bide a Horse, etc. By the late Henry 
William Herbert, (Frank Forester). Beautifully Hlustrated. Cloth, 
12mo. 1.75 

Waringfton's Chemistry of the Farm. 

Treating with the utmost clearness and conciseness, and in the 
most popular manner possible, of the relations of Chemistry to 
Agriculture, and providing a welcome manual for those who, 
while not having time to systematically study Chemistry, will 
gladly have such an idea as this gives them of its relation to oper- 
ations on the farm. By R. Warington, F. C. S. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Farm Appliances. 

Describing numerous Useful and Labor-Saving appliances, and 
will be found of great value in every department of Farm work. 
With nearly 250 Illustrations. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Fences, Gates and Bridges. 

A much-needed and valuable work. The descriptions are abundantly 
illustrated. The book also contains a synopsis of the Fence Laws 
of the different States. Over 100 engravings. Cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Farm Conveniences. 

A Manual of what to do, and how to do it. Describing all manner 
of Homemade Aids to Farm Work. Made up of the best ideas from 
the experience of many practical men. With over two hundred 



engravings. 



1.50 



Warin§:'s Draining: for Profit and Draining: for Health. 

Tills book is a very complete and practial treatise, the directions 
in which are plain and easily followed. The subject of thorough 
farm drainage is discussed in all its bearings, and also that more 
extensive land drainage by which the sanitary condition of any 
district may be greatly improved, even to the banishment of fever 
and ague, typhoid and malarial fever. By Geo. E. Waring, Jr. 
Blustratea, Cloth, 12mo. 1-50 



12 STANDARD BOOKS. 

The Jyogs of Great Britain, America and Other Countries, 

New, enlarged and revised edition. Tlieir Breeding, training and 
management, in health and disease ; comprising all the essential 
parts of the two standard works on the dog, by "Stonehenge." It 
describes the Best Game and Hunting Grounds in America. 
Contains over One Hundred Beautiful Engravings, embracing 
most noted Dogs in both continents, making, together with Cliap- 
ters by American Writers, the most complete Dog Book ever pub- 
lished. Cloth, 12mo. 2.00 

American Bird Fancier. 

Or how to Breed, E,ear and Care for Song and Domestic Birds. This 
valuable and important little work for all who are interested in 
the keeping of Song Birds, has been revised and enlarged, and is 
now a complete manual upon the subject. All who own valuable 
birds, or wish to do so, will find the new Fancier indispensable. 
New, revised and enlarged edition. ^By D. J. Browne and Dr. 
Fuller Walker. Illustrated, paper. .50 

Gardening: for Young: and Old. 

By Joseph Harris. A work intended to interest farmers' boys in 
Farm Gardening, which means a better and more profitable form 
of agriculture. The teachings are given in the familiar manner so 
well known in the author's "Walks and Talks on the Farm." Illus- 
trated. Cloth, 12mo. 1.25 

Onions ; How to Raise Them Profitably. 

Being the Practical Details, from Selection of Seed and Preparation 
of Ground to Harvesting and Marketing the Crop, given very 
plainly by Seventeen Practical Onion Growers of long experience 
residing in different parts of the country. No more valuable work 
of its size was ever issued. Paper, 8vo. .20 

Tomato Culture. 

By J. W. Day, D. Cummins, and A. I. Root. In three parts. Part 
First— Tomato Culture in the South. Part Second— Tomato Cul- 
ture, especially for Canning Factories. Part Third — Plant Growing 
for Market and High Pressure. Gardening in general. A Practical 
Book for those who work under either Glass or Cloth as a Protec- 
tion from Frost. 135 pages, illustrated. Paper, 16mo. .35 

How to Handle and Educate Vicious Horses. 

By Oscar R. Gleason. Directions for Handling Vicious Horses, 
Breaking Colts, Teaching Horses Tricks, etc. Illustrated. Cloth, 
12mo. .50 

The Family Horse. 

Its stabling. Care and Feeding. By Geo. A. Martin. A Practical 
Manual, full of the most useful information. Illustrated. Cloth 
12mo. 1.00 



STANDARD BOOKS. 13 

Dadd's Modern Horse Doctor. 

Containing Practical Observations on the Causes, Nature and 
Treatment of Diseases and Lameness of Horses — embracing recent 
and Improved Metliods, according to an enlightened system of 
Yeterinary Practice, for Preservation, and Restoration of Health, 
niustrated. By Geo. H. Dadd, M. D. V. S. Cloth, 12mo. 1.50 

Howden's the Horse ; How to Buy and Sell. 

Giving the points which distingu.ish a Sound from an Unsound, 
Horse. By Peter Howden. This volume abounds in General Infor- 
mation, stated in so clear and simple a manner as to enable every- 
one to intelligently buy and sell a Horse. It explains the meaning 
of Horse Warranty, and its use, and shows the value of knowledge 
on this subject. Extra cloth, 12mo. 1.00 

Youatt and Spooner on the Horse. 

The Structure and Diseases of the Horse, Remedies, Rules to Buy- 
ers, Breakers, Shoers, etc. Youatt's work somewhat simplified 
and brought down by "W. C. Spooner, M. R. C. V. S. ; to which is pre- 
fixed an account of the Breeds in the United States and Canada. 
By Hon. Henry S. Randall. Hlustrated by numerous engravings. 
12mo. 1.50 

Harris's Insects Injurious to Ve§:etation. 

By the late Thaddeus "William Harris, M. D. Octavo, 640 pages. En- 
larged and improved, with additions from the author's manuscripts 
and original notes. Illustrated by engravings drawn from nature 
under the supervision of Professor Agassiz ; edited by Charles L. 
Flint, late Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Agri- 
culture. The work is fully illustrated with two lumdred and sev- 
enty-eight fine woodcuts, and eight beautiful steel plates, full page 
size, containing ninety-five figures, 8vo. Cloth, plain, 4.00. Col- 
ored, ' 6.50 

Dadd's American Reformed Horse-Book. 

A Treatise on the Causes, Symptoms, and Cure of every Disease in- 
cident to the Horse, including all Diseases peculiar to America, 
and which are not treated of in the works based upon the English 
works of Yoiiatt, Mason, and others. Embracing also full details 
of Breeding, Rearing and Management on the Reformed System of 
Practice. By Prof. Geo. H. Dadd, Veterinary Surgeon. Author of 
"Anatomy and Physiology of the Horse," in the Veterinary Insti- 
tute of Chicago, and for over 25 years a Regular Practicing Veteri- 
narian. Cloth, 8vo. 2.50 

Insects and Insecticides. 

A practical manual concerning Noxious Insects and Methods of 
Preventing their Injiiries. By Clarence M. "Weed, D. Sc, Prof, of 
Entomology and Zoology, New Hampshire College of Agriculture 
and Mechanic Arts, etc., etc. 281 pages, with many illustrations. 
Cloth, 8vo. 1-25 



14 STANDARD BOOKS. 

Batty's Practical Taxidermy and Home Decoration. 

By Joseph H. Batty, taxidermist for tlae government surveys and 
many colleges and museums in the United States. An entirely 
new and complete as vs^ell as authentic work on taxidermy— giving 
in detail full directions for collecting and mounting animals, birds, 
reptiles, fish, insects, and general objects of natural history. 125 
illustrations. Cloth, 12nio. 1.50 

Treat's Injurious Insects of tlie Farm and Garden. By 
Mrs. Mary Treat. 

An original investigator who has added much to our knowledge of 
both Plants and Insects, and those who are familiar with Dar- 
win's works ai'e aware that he gives her credit for important ob- 
servation and discoveries. New and Enlarged Edition. "With an 
illustrated chapter on Beneficial Insects. Fully illustrated. Cloth, 
12mo. 2.00 

The Practical Rabbit-Keeper. 

By Cuniculus. Illustrated. A comprehensive work on keeping 
and raising Babbits for pleasure as well as for profit. This book is 
abundantly illustrated with all the various Courts, "Warrens, 
Hutches, Fencing, etc., and also with excellent portraits of the 
most important species of rabbits througlioutthe world. 12rao. 1.50 

Hunter and Trapper. 

The best modes of Hunting and Trapping are fully explained, and 
Foxes, Deer, Bears, etc., fall into his traps readily by following his 
directions. By Halsey Thrasher, an old and experienced sports- 
man. Cloth, 12mo. .75 

The Ice Crop. 

How to Harvest, Ship and Use Ice. By Theron L. Hiles. A Com- 
plete, Practical Treatise for Farmers, Drirymen, Ice Dealers, Pro- 
duce Shippers, Meat Packers, Cold Storers, and all interested in 
Ice Houses, Cold Storage, and the Handling or Use of Ice in a»y 
way, including many receipes for Iced Dishes and Beverages. The 
book is illustrated by cuts of the tools and machinery used in cut- 
ting and storing ice, and different forms of ice houses and cold 
storage buildings. 122 pp., ill. Cloth, 16mo. 1.00 

How to Co-operate. 

A Manual for Co-operators. By Herbert Myrick. This book des- 
cribes the how rather than the wherefore of co-operation. In other 
words it tells how to manage a co-operative store, farm or factory, 
co-operative dairying, banking and fire insurance, and co-operative 
farmers' and women's exchanges for both buying and selling. The 
directions given are based on the actual experience of successful 
co-operative enterprises in all parts of the United States. The 
character and usefulness of the book commend it to the attention 
of all men and women who desire to better their condition. Cloth, 
12mo., 1.00. Paper, .50 



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